Sport pilot 76 dec 2017

RECREATIONAL AVIATION AUSTRALIA / DECEMBER 2017 VOL 76 [12]

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CESSNA’S FAILED DREAM – THE C162

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ON THE COVER

38 From box to BushCat in under three weeks

“Errol wanted the new

BushCat to be ready

to show off at

AirVenture Australia.”

Photo: Global Aviation Products

REGULARS 05 06 09 66

Chairman’s report Calendar of events Letters to the Editor Happy landings

COLUMNISTS

32 Right seat anecdotes DAV ID P. E Y RE 37 Editor’s choice B RI A N B I G G 53 Instructor’s forum PRO F E S S O R AV I U S 57 Home builder DAV E ED M U ND S

FEATURES

38 From box to BushCat ERRO L VA N REN S B U RG 44 The right plane wrong category A L A N B E T T ERID G E 49 Weight and balance part 3 RO B K NI G H T

AIRVENTURE AUSTRALIA

18 Praise for AirVenture 20 In-tents rain doesn’t dampen spirits A L A N B E T T ERID G E 25 A matter of faith B RI A N B I G G 27 AirVenture delivers MI C H A EL L INKE C EO 28 Karma is a soggy tent WAY NE M C LU C A S 30 Pilot’s paradise A L A N B E T T ERID G E 31 AirVenture adventure T HE O P S T E A M

READERS’ STORIES

54 Why EFBs are the shiz niz

EL L EN F R A NK L IN 55 Where did you go today?

KEN NI C H O L A S

NEWS

Merry Christmas B RI A N B I G G Seminar a useful tool ST E V E M C G U IRE Office Christmas closing times Tecnam steps up TAVAS big show

A ND RE W C A R T ER 16 Vale Ben Sandilands 11

12

12 13 15

FLY-INS

33 Burdekin brekky

ST E V E M C G U IRE

EXTRAS

05 Digital directions 13 Sport Pilot subscription offer 34 Poster Opportunity. For Richard BARRY WRENFORD 58 Aviation Classifieds 66 Where is CAGIT?

18 Sport Pilot Magazine is an official publication of Recreational Aviation Australia Ltd and is published twelve times a year by Stampils Publishing.

EDITOR Brian Bigg editor@sportpilot.net.au All enquiries 1300 838 416

44

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4 / SPORT PILOT

CH AIRMAN ’ S REPORT

Done but not dusted

BY MIC HAEL MONC K

A

IRVENTURE Australia is done for another year, but it is far from dusted. The event was a success, based on a number of metrics and you’ll see that message across this entire edition. Having said that, there is a lot which can be learned from this year and we will take those lessons into next year. Like any flight we take, we should reflect and understand what went well, what didn’t go so well and then adjust accordingly. Similarly, we should look at other events and understand the same things about them.

What is perhaps most important to me, though, is understanding what AirVenture Australia is all about. Is it an air show? Is it a fly-in? Is it a social gathering? Imagine trying to plan a flight without knowing where you are going, what the winds are doing, what time you’re due to leave or the performance of the aircraft you intend to fly. Without this information, it is impossible to know what you will encounter along the way or when you will get there. Indeed, without planning, it is possible you won’t arrive at all.

AirVenture Australia is no different. To ensure its success, it is critical to understand what we are trying to achieve and then we can plan accordingly.

Many members long for the fly-ins of the good old days. The fun they had at Mangalore and at NatFly. They reminisce about bumping into old friends and sharing stories of flying. I often get told about these glory times, when swapping ideas and experiences about building aircraft took place over extended weekends involving a lot of people who became great mates in the process. And, of course, these events were great venues for learning new things about aircraft maintenance as well.

And even today, there are events around the country that remind us of those events. The most successful are those are Old Station and Evans Head. In a lot of ways, especially in their social aspects, they are similar to what NatFly was in the early days.

Then you have the more formal events, like Wings Over Illawarra.

This is probably one of the best air shows of its type in Australia. It has everything from civilian aerobatic displays, through to demonstrations of military grunt, for hours on end over an entire weekend.

And let’s not forget Avalon, which is in a class of its own. Avalon, for those of you who haven’t been, is an opportunity for military forces from around the world to try and one-up each other in front of the general public, while the business types in the back rooms do deals on aircraft, weapons and sustainability packages worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

So, compared with all these great events, what is AirVenture Australia? To me, the answer is simple. It is the premier event for aviators, by aviators.

If we break this down further to understand what it means, we can get an even clearer picture.

Like it or not, there is a commercial side to any event - we have to make the event worth doing. We can’t afford to lose thousands upon thousands of dollars, so it has to at least break even. It is hardly worth running an event for members if it just ends up being a financial drain on the associations which support aviation.

It needs to be entertaining, but that doesn’t mean it is an air show and not much else. This year we did have flying displays, but they didn’t overwhelm the event.

It has to be educational. We had more than 50 seminars and more than 2,000 people attended them. The topic areas ranged from the advances in electric aviation, through to having a chat with one of the world’s greatest aviators, Australia’s own Matt Hall.

It is this unique blend of activities which will make us stand out from the other aviation themed events around the country.

It is what makes AirVenture Australia different from the rest.

We should be proud RAAus is a significant driving force behind it.

Last month, I wrote about working together to build a stronger aviation community. One of the unfortunate truths about our industry is that there is a lot of infighting and pettiness about how we conduct ourselves. We often hear about associations attacking each other or refusing to work alongside one another. It isn’t productive.

When we talk about the decline in aviation in Australia we often levy the blame on the regulator, but we should also stop and look at ourselves. If we aren’t working towards the same goals in both our words and our actions, we damage our industry. To this end, AirVenture Australia is not designed to compete with events like Old Station or Wings over Illawarra. It is designed to fill an obvious gap in Australia’s already amazing calendar of aviation events.

Planning is underway for next year but we are not yet rushing out to secure our spot in the limited number of weekends available in 2018. We will first stop to look at this year’s event to try to understand where we can improve.

We will examine what other events do and seek to complement them so we can strengthen our industry as a whole. And we are already working with other aviators to make AirVenture Australia even more successful.

Next year, you can be sure AirVenture Australia will be different. But it will still encompass the simple core element of being an event for aviators, by aviators.

2017 is done but AirVenture Australia is far from being dusted. We’re only just beginning.

“We have to make the event worth doing”

DIGITAL DIRECTIONS There are many ways to interact with RAAus.

Website: www.raa.asn.au Member portal: www.members.raa.asn.au/login Lodge an occurrence: www.oms.raa.asn.au/lodge Back issues of Sport Pilot: www.raa.asn.au/sport-pilot-magazine Subscribe to printed Sport Pilot: www.raa.asn.au/sport-pilot-magazine-application RAAus shop: www.shop.raa.asn.au Sport Pilot online: www.raa.asn.au/sport-pilot-magazine ENewsletter: www.raa.asn.au/become-a-member/member-benefits/e-news 5 / SPORT PILOT

CA LEN D AR OF EVEN TS

A. 6-7 JANUARY

GREAT EASTERN FLY IN Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome. Fly-in for a unique Australian aviation get together.

Camping, fun activities, air displays, drones, joy flights, aviation history, classic cars, markets, great food and much more. For more information, greateasternflyin.com or Gai Taylor 0427 825 202.

C. 11 MARCH TYABB AIRSHOW

An impressive day with some of the best air performers. The Peninsula Aero Club has a proud tradition of supporting local community service clubs from the proceeds of its shows. All visiting aircraft should plan to arrive before 10:30 because access will not be granted after that time.

For more information, www.tyabbairshow.com

B. 11 MARCH CLIFTON FLY IN

Lone Eagle Flying School’s annual fly-in includes International Women In Aviation Week. This has become an iconic event in the region and is the premier attraction for all types of aviation in southern Queensland. See various types, shapes, sizes and models of recreational, ultralight and homebuilt aircraft including sport, vintage, general aviation and any other flying machine. Come late pm Saturday, 11th for BBQ, drinks and hangar talk. Fly or drive in, see ERSA. On field camping, bring your swag. Advise for catering. For more information www.loneeagleflyingschool.org. au, Facebook.com/LoneEagleFlyingSchool, admin@loneeagleflyingschool.org.au or Trevor Bange 0429 378 370.

D. 17 MARCH

CENTENARY OF FLIGHT AIRSHOW It will be 100 years since the first operational military flights in Australia. These were conducted from Yarram in a FE2B aircraft out into Bass Strait looking for the German raiding ship The Wolf.

This operation was flown by Capt.

Frank McNamara VC from the Australian Flying Corp. Yarram Aero Club will honour the centenary of the event. For more information, yarramcentenaryofflight.com.au Brian Lucas 0428 527 237 or facebook.com/YarramCOF. 6 / SPORT PILOT

CA LEN D AR OF EVEN TS

E. 25 MARCH

WARBIRDS OVER SCONE Lots of noise and spectacular heavy metal thunder. Paul Bennet will also perform. For more information, https://www.facebook. com/WarbirdsOverScone.

F. 21-22 APRIL

COFFS HARBOUR AIRSHOW Postponed from last year. Lots of flying activity in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. For more information, facebook.com/Coffs-Coast-Airshow691483561025636/?fref=ts

G. 29 APRIL

WINGS WHEELS AND WINE We are excited to be bringing back this great community event in 2018 bigger and better than ever before! Bring the whole family along as the Mudgee Aero Club hosts a great day full of kid’s entertainment, market stalls, food and wine tasting, a car show and an action packed program of aerial displays.

For more information, www.wingswheelsandwine.com.au.

B E G C D

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F

A

8 / SPORT PILOT

L E T T ERS TO TH E ED ITOR

or from their day or week of work. In my fixed wing aircraft, they were restrained on a short leash on the back seat because, for an animal capable of taking a one metre fence in their stride, the mere obstacle of high back aircraft seats would look like a pimple. In my two seat helicopter, the single dog would be restrained by the collar in such a manner as to prevent contact with any aircraft control.

DODGY DOG 1

I am just an old fart enjoying the privilege of flight thanks to RAAus and our continued good relationship with CASA. So it makes me cringe when I read Editor’s Choice (‘A dog of an afternoon’ Sport Pilot September 2017). First, he tells the world how he went flying and it was a lovely sunny day and he handed control over to his first born son and On short flights of a few minutes, that was he really liked it etc. the only precaution I took, however on longer flights I would use a bandage to tape the dog’s Look. We have all done it, but we didn’t tell the ears hard against its head in an attempt at world about it in a national publication! hearing protection.

And now he light heartedly tells the world how One amazing feature of my working dog after he took his doggy for a flight that nearly ended my retirement was as follows. in a fatal accident!

I would secure the dog beside I could hardly believe what I A dog of an afternoon me in the helicopter for a two was reading.Surely the Editor hour flight back west to our old (and I couldn’t find who that hunting ground, now managed is) should be on guard for I by my son. The dog would sit for this sort of stuff. It makes the 10 minutes and then lay down RAAus look like a bunch of and either sleep, or pretend to. ignorant cowboys with zero When we got within about seven knowledge of the rules in the miles of our destination the VFG. “The only cloud on the dog would suddenly sit up and horizon was the pooch” The near accident was become very excited and alert. treated in a light hearted On the return journey the dog’s manner, when it was anything reaction was exactly the same but. as we approached home. This Damage to our reputation had nothing to do with engine with CASA and the whole aviation community is noise or altitude change, because as I normally not funny whatsoever. fly about 500ft above terrain.

RICHARD SUGDEN On a different note, I recall you once being FROM THE ED/ FYI, my name and contact critical of control towers and GA pilots having details are always on page 3 if you need them. to read back instructions and clearances. I E DITO R’ S CHO ICE

BY BRIAN BIGG

IT STARTED OUT GOOD AND I HAD THE BEST INTENTIONS, BUT I’VE ENDED UP UNEXPECTEDLY LEARNING ANOTHER LESSON ABOUT THE DANGERS OF FLYING. AND ISN’T LEARNING LESSONS WHAT WERE ALWAYS ON ABOUT, DOGGONNIT?.

T began about lunchtime. I’d been working on the magazine all morning and was looking to have a break. Our little black-andwhite Maltese Shihtzu, Sammy Dog, had been snoozing at my feet all morning. When he saw I was standing up with the intention of going out, he began to get very excited. He’s not silly. He knows a walk is in the offing if he can convince me to take him.

I had other ideas in mind. It was a beautiful day and I planned to push the aeroplane out and get up off the ground. Working on the magazine never fails to make me want to go flying. So I faced a conundrum. Carry through with my original plan to go for a fly,or take the dog for a walk? In the end, I decided to compromise and take the dog with me for a fly. I should say that I hadn’t taken him before in the aeroplane, but on car trips he usually settles down quite quickly and sits quietly until we reach our destination. Apart from one spectacular accident when he was just a pup, he doesn’t suffer motion sickness either.

So I retrieved the lead from behind the door, which got the little fella very excited. He towed me along behind him all the way to the car.

At the airport, I left him bouncing excitedly backwards and forwards across Is he winking the back seat of the car while I pushed the aircraft out and finished the pre-flight. Then I went back to the car, grabbed his lead, led him the short distance across the tarmac and hoisted him into the aeroplane. I left the lead attached to his collar.

Immediately he stood up to look out the window as I went around to the other side and climbed in. The take-off and climb out were normal and the flight itself was another in a long line of beautiful flights I’ve had along the coast. It might be Australia’s busiest air corridor but the north coast of New South Wales can have days where there is no one else up in the air. This was one of them. The air was benign, the temperature comfortably warm and it was just one of those perfect days for going nowhere in particular.

The only cloud on the horizon was the pooch.

Sammy didn’t seem to want to settle. He stood up with his paws on the windowsill and walked in circles on the seat, tangling his lead and forcing me to push him out of the way when he got too close. It occurred to me then that I hadn’t given him a drink or checked to see he’d been to the toilet before we left. So, despite the beauty of the day, I decided to turn and take the little fella home before either he threw up or took a crap on the seat, both of which now appeared to me to look more and more likely in his agitated state.

Back at the airport I joined the circuit. There was no one else around, but I made my usual calls and set up for landing. As I turned onto base, Sammy took leave from his pacing and put his head down into the footwell and tried to burrow behind the rudder pedals.

First I tried to call him out. “Come on Sammy,” I called. “Come on out of there.”

Then I reached over to try to drag him out. He yelped, because his lead had become tangled on the right-hand side pedal, trapping him partly between the pedal and the firewall.

I couldn’t push the right-hand rudder pedal without him screeching in pain.

And if I pushed the left-hand pedal to give him more room to get free, the aircraft wandered off course.

I abandoned the circuit and climbed up to a decent height, in a slow righthand spiral (trying to keep the rudder pedal away from him), to reassess my options. I half leveraged myself out of my seatbelt and the seat to reach over into the well where Sammy was trapped.

A quick glance outside, however, made me realise that the aircraft had taken the opportunity of my gymnastics to follow me over to the right-hand side and now we were in danger of turning upside down. I straightened it up and tried, slowly wiggling my way to the right to where I could reach deep into the well and untangle the lead from the rudder pedal. Then I sat up quickly again because I could feel the aircraft wander off the straight and narrow again. This time, I kept hold of the end of Sammy’s lead. He was still tangled and yelping in fear. Once more I jiggled to the right, deftly untangled the lead from the pedal by feel alone and sat back up, roughly dragging the dog back onto the seat. I kept a firm hold on the lead all the way back to the airport, fully aware that I was likely to be cleaning up some muck from inside if I wasn’t careful, either vomit or something infinitely worse.

Looping the lead around my right hand to stop the distressed dog from moving about, I performed a quick circuit and speedy landing and fairly raced the aircraft back to the parking area. Cutting short all my post landing checks, I turned it off, popped the canopy and dived out of the seat with the dog in my arms. I set him down in the grass next to the parking bay.

Sure enough, as soon as Sammy touched the grass he stopped, squatted and gave me a guilty look as he revealed the course of his distress. He’d been busting to go from the time he stood up from underneath my desk.

It was all my fault. I’d forgotten the first rule of being a pilot is to take care of your passenger’s needs, even if that passenger is all hairy and licks your face (like my grandmother) or is a dog.

That last sentence will get me into the dog house, I’m sure.

39 / S PO R T PI LO T

DODGY DOG 2 I have just read the Editor’s Choice story (‘A dog of an afternoon’ Sport Pilot September 2017) and was left stunned with the incredulous circumstances.

Having been involved in flying for over 50 years, I have obviously learned a few lessons along the way, but I doubt there are any as clear to see during pre-flight as that one.

Firstly, I believe it is illegal to have an unrestrained animal in an aeroplane. In fact, the law may even say they have to be caged.

I have to admit that in my career as a grazier, I found practicality far more important to me than the law. So, I too am guilty of carrying animals in aircraft. On most occasions the animals carried were working dogs, going to

believe if you do some research into significant accidents such as that at Tenerife, you will realise why that procedure was mandated.

Keep up the good work as editor, I do enjoy reading my hard copy of the magazine.

JOHN MICHELL

FROM THE EDITOR / An earlier version of my dog story was originally printed in the Aviation Safety Digest. It was sparked by my discovery many years ago that the regulations don’t actually spell out that you need to restrain your pet in the cockpit, which I found surprising.

CASR 91.045 Section 6.2.4 says, in part, if a domestic pet is to be carried unrestrained in the cockpit, the pilot must take into consideration the reaction of other passengers, who may have allergies or phobias, and with excreta containment.

As with every flight, the operator is responsible for the safety of the aircraft and all people on board, while an animal is being carried.”

I rewrote my original story as an entirely too subtle way of getting readers to go to find the regulation themselves and be surprised like I was.

RECORD SEPARATION On page 12 of the September edition of Sport Pilot there is a story entitled ‘Is this an Australian record?’

Having read it I would agree it is IS THIS AN AUSTRALIAN RECORD? a record, but for breaking the rules. Y Surely minimum separation standards were not maintained during take-off plus landing on an occupied runway.

TED REES FROM THE ED / Kevin McGrath, who submitted that story, tells me “All pilots attended a detailed pre-flight briefing and were given strict departure and landing time slots, allowing for staggered departure to suit aircraft performance over a 40 minute window. This was monitored by ground marshals to ensure correct separation. Aircraft were separated in flight according to speed so that no aircraft overtook another at any time and all aircraft followed a detailed flight route.

Landing on the 3km runway with suitable taxiways allowed for landing aircraft to depart the runway quickly for following aircraft and was effective in a 40 minute landing window.”

FROM THE OPS DEPT / AIP ENR 1.1 paragraph 10.2.2.1 (a) (4) provides the relevant minimum separation for take-off for aircraft with an MTOW under 2,000kgs.

These include ensuring the preceding aircraft is airborne and at least 600m ahead of the following aircraft. AIP ENR 1.1 paragraph 10.10.1 (a) (2) states a landing aircraft will not be permitted to continue its approach beyond the threshold of the runway until the preceding aircraft has landed and is beyond a point at which the landing aircraft could be expected to complete its landing roll and there is sufficient distance to manoeuvre safely in the event of a missed approach.

IN THE NEWS

BY KE VIN MC GR ATH PRE SIDE N T LO N E E AG LE FLY IN G SC H O O L & DARLIN G D OWN S SP O R T PILOT A S SN

ES I’m claiming a record for the largest Fly-Together. On Saturday August 5, 22 aircraft lined up and departed on a 20 to 30-minute flight from Clifton airstrip to Brisbane West Wellcamp, a regional international airport, now three years old.

All pilots took off smoothly 500m apart and arrived at Wellcamp in a continuous stream, again each 500m apart. The runway is almost three kilometres long and so wide that a STOL aircraft

could land across it.

The taxiways are wider than a lot of strips at other airfields.

I was Tail End Charlie and it was great to see the professionalism displayed in the landing circuit, the taxiing, the preparation for take-off, etc.

We flew over six townships enroute and the fresh green crops were a visual delight.

At Wellcamp, there was heightened security in place because of the alleged terrorist plot

Photo by Scott Sorley

Photo by Veronica Sorley

Photo by Scott Sorley

Photo by Veronica Sorley

1 2 / S P ORT P I L OT

WRITE IN: EDITOR@SPORTPILOT.NET.AU The state of the organisation is reflected in the Letters to the Editor columns. The more letters – the healthier the organisation.

So don’t just sit there – get involved. Your contributions are always welcome, even if no one else agrees with your opinion.

The Editor makes every effort to run all letters, even if the queue gets long at certain times of the year.

(By the way – the Editor reserves the right to edit Letters to the Editor to shorten them to fit the space available, to improve the clarity of the letter or to prevent libel. The opinions and views expressed in the Letters to the Editor are those of the individual writer and neither RA-Aus or Sport Pilot magazine endorses or supports the views expressed within them).

9 / SPORT PILOT

against a passenger plane uncovered in Sydney a few days before this and every person who participated was affected by them.

At 10.30am we were told the first plane was to be gone by 12 noon. However, despite all these security issues, it was a fantastic day.

And, as a result, I am claiming an Australian record for organising and completing the largest Fly-Together from one airport to another - and an international one at that.

10 / SPORT PILOT

IN TH E N EW S

Merry Christmas T

BY BRIAN BIGG EDITOR SP ORT PILOT

HERE’S no getting around it. 2017 has been a strange sort of year for recreational aviators. On one hand, we lost five of our number and for that we remain sad.

On the other hand and, as callous as it sounds, only five fatal accidents means it has statistically been a a good year for our activity. The number of fatals per 100,000 flying hours this year was actually only 1.05, which is the lowest it’s ever been. Two years ago, the number was four and four years ago it was five, so we are flying a lot more, but doing it more safely, which is a trend we all have to welcome.

I didn’t do as much flying this year as I would have liked (which is what I say every year). I had a few health issues early on which kept me grounded.

Then, when I came good, and the weather around Sydney was superb for aviation, my plane was in pieces on the hangar floor. When I couldn’t fly, I bit the bullet and started my long overdue refurbishment. Being busy with my other work, though, meant my aeroplane repairs progressed slowly. The plane is starting to look great again and the best thing is, I think I’ve finally found a solution to my brake problems (groan, not that again I hear you say).

I hope to have good news about that to report in the new year. I’m certainly looking forward to attending more fly-ins next year by air rather than by car.

No doubt 2018 will be another big year. We have the introduction of Part 149 to look forward to, plus we will all watch with keen interest as RAAus moves forward on the heavier MTOW and CTA access for us. Won’t they be amazing and challenging when they happen?

THANK YOU

It is no easy thing putting together Australia’s best aviation publication every month. We couldn’t do it without the support of the RAAus board, the management, the staff in the office and the very many contributors who send in photos and stories to ensure Sport Pilot remains interesting, informative and entertaining every single time.

The senior officers of RAAus, including the chairman, Michael Monck, bear a heavy burden providing their contributions to the magazine each month.

They do it uncomplainingly, yet still manage to find an unending list of interesting things to talk about. And they tolerate me editing their work each time.

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Alan Betteridge, who has been a godsend to me. Also the regular contributors Dave Edmunds, Dave Daniels (please come back), Ken Nicholas, Rob Knight, Rick Frith, David Eyre and, of course, the anonymous Professor Avius and Devil’s Advocate.

Each of these people dedicates a good chunk of their time to ensure everyone gets the benefit of their knowledge and experience. On your behalf, I have told each of them how we all appreciate their efforts and hope they continue being so generous and valuable into the future. Also thank you is due to Stampils’ amazing designers, Dani Banco and Karin Middleton.

I might be good with words, but without the designers turning those words into astonishing pages, Sport Pilot might as well be a text book.

AND THANK YOU

The magazine also relies on you. Please continue to let us know when you have a fly-in coming up. On the day, remember to take lots of photos, so we can tell everybody how successful your event was or how the rain ruined your plans. If you’ve had near misses or made fantastic journeys, met interesting people or flown interesting aircraft, we always want to hear from you.

The variety is what makes the magazine such an interesting one to read each month. Keep an eye out for unusual aircraft for me.

There’s no way my staff can poke their noses into every single hangar in the far reaches of this country, so I need you to let me know if you see a one-off home built, a beautiful streamlined rocket, a paint job worth talking about or some other aircraft everyone would love to hear about.

We have had a 30 percent increase in subscriptions this year, which means the magazine must be hitting its mark. I introduce new columns or sections, on average, every three months and have been doing that since Sport Pilot began in 2011. It means that, within the familiar Sport Pilot framework, you get the familiarity you want as a regular reader, but are often surprised. We always make sure there’s lots of fun, humour and a positive attitude within all the information and education you get. We’ve been getting lots of nice emails from people telling us they love it, which is fantastic. Don’t forget to tell us if you don’t like it, so we can always make it better.

A GIFT IDEA

Why not buy a subscription for someone you love as a Christmas present this year? It’s a better idea than the cologne and socks you got them again last year. They might even thank you sincerely this time around. You can find a great Christmas subscription offer on page 13.

On behalf of all the hard-working staff who put together Sport Pilot for you each month, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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IN TH E N EW S

SEMINAR A USEFUL TOOL

BY STE VE MC GUIRE

Y

AYR took its turn to host a CASA safety seminar in October.

The day started with a sausage sizzle (of course) then Burdekin Shire’s Mayor, Lyn McLaughlin welcomed the group of about 35 pilots and family members.

The Mayor spoke about council’s Aerodrome Advisory committee, made up of herself, the Deputy Mayor and stakeholders.

She reported on council’s progress towards

the installation of a 24/7 Avgas facility and its plans for the aerodrome’s future.

CASA’s representative, Aviation Safety Advisor, Iain White, then outlined a number of safety related incidents which drew, in some instances, on tragic outcomes for their educational message.

During the two-hour session, participants shared personal experiences, views and opinions including on topics such as

CHRISTMAS OFFICE TIMES Closes: Midday AEST Friday, December 22.

Re-opens: Midday AEST Tuesday, January 2.

12 / SPORT PILOT

electronic flight bags, BOM’s changes to area forecasting, as well as procedures and experiences at uncontrolled aerodromes.

The session ended with informal discussions and lunch, organised by Ayr Flying Services, after which some of the 10 aircraft which had flown in for the event began to depart. Everyone agreed the seminar had been a useful tool to remind pilots not to take our safety for granted.

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TECNAM STEPS UP

Tecnam Aircraft has announced it will establish a corporate presence in Australia.

The company’s worldwide Sales Director, Walter Da Costa, said the company had decided on a two part strategy for Australia.

Bruce Stark, who has represented Tecnam in Australia for many years, will look after the management of the Light Sport Aircraft fleet, along with the management and supply of all spare parts.

His main offering will be the P2008 model which is proving to be a popular choice for

pilots.

Tecnam will have for the first time, a GA sales presence. The GA range will be managed by Allan Bligh and his long-term associate, Spencer Ferrier.

The company plans to offer three models to Australia’s GA market. The P2006T light twin, a Special Mission Platform model for customs and police operations, fire management and border protection and the P2012 Traveller, a twin-engine, eleven-seat, Lycoming-powered commuter aircraft.

From left to right, Bruce Stark, Walter Da Costa, Allan Bligh, Spencer Ferrier

13 / SPORT PILOT

“We are really proud to commence our corporate presence in Australia with such a strong and capable sales team,” Mr Da Costa said. “The introduction of our heavier aircraft in the VH category will make a strong mark in Australian aviation and we look forward to serving the Australian travelling public with our well-proven, advanced design, economical fleet.”

For more information, www.tecnam.com.

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www.gap.aero or visit The Airplane Factory (Pty) Ltd website at www.airplanefactory.co.za

14 / SPORT PILOT

IN TH E N EW S

TAVAS BIG SHOW

BY ANDRE W C ARTER

The Australian Vintage Aviation Society will hold its Great War Flying Display 2018 in April.

It will be the group’s third (and possibly final) event to commemorate all pilots of all wars over the past 100 years.

The display is expected to attract tens of thousands of people, be the largest event of its type in Queensland and host the only collection of flying pre-WWI and WWI type aircraft.

The display will also feature aircraft from WW2, Korea and Vietnam

- and of course aircraft currently used by the Australian Defence Force.

A lot will happen ground side as well. That weekend also happens to be the centenary of the shooting down of the Red Baron - and TAVAS has Australia’s only full scale replica of his aircraft?

There will be a lot of RAAus aircraft on the field and we expect many more to fly in for the event, which will be held over two days 21 and 22 April.

For more information, www.tavas.com.au

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VALE

Vale Ben Sandilands 1943 – 2017

Aviation writer, Ben Sandilands, died in October after a long illness.

For many years, Ben was a specialist aviation journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald. He also wrote for the Australian Financial Review, the Bulletin, Travelweek and Aircraft magazine.

More recently he was an aviation blogger for the websites Plane Talking and Crikey.

A colleague said Ben had two important gifts as an aviation journalist, “an appropriate journalistic scepticism of anything he was seeing and hearing, and a capacity to render often impenetrably complex technical issues into not merely readable but engaging analysis.”

Despite a punishing schedule of cancer treatments, Ben continued to file stories up to just before his death, including his continuing extensive analysis of the MH370 disappearance.

Ben with grandson Miles

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fun, fabulous flying

Fantastic

Narromine 2017

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A I R V E N TU RE AU STRALIA

Caption in here

55 seminars were attended by 2,000 people

Harper

40 exhibitors reported lucrative sales

The kids had heaps of fun too

Praise for AirVenture PHOTO S BY K ARIN MIDDLE TON

T

HE organisor of this year’s AirVenture at Narromine has thanked the aviation community for its support.

“I’d like to thank each and every person involved with this year’s event”, said David Young.

“Although AirVenture Australia is still in its infancy, we delivered an event we could be proud of and, judging by the number of visitors and aircraft, the event was a huge success.

“AirVenture Australia has cemented its place as Australia’s premier general, sport and recreational aviation trade show, education forum and fly-in and its format is the only one of its type offered on a large scale.

“We saw 2,363 visitors through the gate, with 440 aircraft arriving across the three days.

The seminar program was, as promised, varied and interesting. There were 55 seminars, all of which drew good crowds. More than 40 exhibitors were on hand, including some in the exhibition hall.

“Exhibitors reported they had an outstanding event with nine aircraft sold, orders for a number of avionics and other aviation products and strong leads resulting from their exhibitions.

“I’d like to thank all our sponsors including QBE, Narromine Council, CASA, Sport Pilot and Aviation Trader.

18 / SPORT PILOT

“Our feedback to date has been overwhelmingly positive. We will be undertaking a formal event review and look forward to planning next year’s event.

Chairman of RAAus, Michael Monck, said, “RAAus is 100% committed to AirVenture Australia and the growth of the event. It meets the twin needs of catering to our large and varied membership and gives the public an opportunity to sample aviation. “This is an event run by aviators, for aviators. By working with a host of other organisations and aviators we can get more people flying, we can achieve something better and something bigger”.

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Our feedback has been overwhelmingly positive�

Exhibitor Errol Van Rensburg got the BushCat ready in time- See page 38

More than 2,000 people through the gates 19 / SPORT PILOT

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-Geoff Higgins had his first experience with a flat tyre at Narromine

John Harris flew from Cootamundra in his Storm RG

Jeff Bailey is rightly proud of the Zodiac XL he built

‘In-tents’ rain doesn’t dampen spirits PHOTO S AND STORY BY AL AN BE T TERIDGE

A

VIATORS are a hardy bunch of people and that stoicism was evident at AirVenture Australia 2017.

The first warning the weather would be a problem was the gathering of dark clouds on the western horizon late on Thursday afternoon.

By that time a lot of aircraft had already arrived. The parking area looked like a cross between an aircraft parking lot and a campground. Many of the arriving pilots had chosen

to sleep underwing for what promised to be a weekend which would not be forgotten anytime soon. And forgotten it won’t be, especially by those who made that decision to camp.

The Narromine Shire Council did a particularly good job of preparing the aerodrome parking area by placing lots of road base and ensuring the ground was level.

One unexpected aspect of that preparation, however, was the ground no longer had 20 / SPORT PILOT

any slope to it and, as such, if it rained the water would have nowhere to go. It would just pool and form small lakes but it was not considered to be a problem. It hadn’t rained in the area for several months. The weather gods were about to change all of that.

The first signs the impending weather was arriving occurred about 6pm, when a gusty wind blew up, followed by what was to become the first of many showers.

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By midnight the showers had become heavy rain”

Camping under wing was popular though very wet No nonsense Super Pup looked as neat as a pin

Chris Maddox and Pete Sackett flew from The Oaks in the Sydney Recreational Flying Group’s A22 Foxbat

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Heavy showers were a feature all day Friday

High wing sirius looked good

The popular Vampire aircraft is back in limited production 22 / SPORT PILOT

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Lyle Passfield and David Bevan with Lyle’s Jodel D9 or was that D18?

Quality built RV3 is a regular at Narromine Just the very thing for a wet and soggy Narromine day

It hadn’t rained in the area for several months” By around midnight, the showers had become heavy rain, and it didn’t let up until the morning.

There is nothing sadder than to watch a grown man trying to dry his clothes with a hand dryer in the toilets at 3.30am. That is, until sometime later when I saw another pilot trying to dry out his mobile phone using the same appliance.

No one who had set up a tent, either in the aircraft parking area or the adjacent caravan park, was immune from the continual and heavy downpours.

John Harris, who had flown up from Cootamundra in his Storm RG, was one of the many who had water invade his chosen accommodation – a small pup tent.

“It’s all part of the fun,” he smiled. “In any case, at least I had good weather for the flight

here,” he added.

John was looking for an aircraft to build when he first came across a Storm 300 at the 2004 Natfly.

“It was the perfect aircraft and just what I wanted,” he said.

“I decided to go for the RG model with a Rotax 914 which produces 115hp. It makes for quite a nippy little machine.

“The fun of flying it up here was worth the small amount of water in the tent,” he laughed.

Although there were many more showers on Friday, most of them very heavy, the rain had started to clear by the afternoon and the forecast for Saturday was looking good with clear skies and no rain.

Geoff Higgins had flown his Jodel D11 up from Tooradin and was also camping under the 23 / SPORT PILOT

wing, but the rain was the least of his worries.

After landing his aircraft and pushing it back into its parking spot, it was pointed out him tat he had a flat left mainwheel tyre.

“It was fine when I landed and taxied in, so it must have happened between the taxiway and the parking spot, which is all of about 30 metres,” Geoff said.

“I have never had a flat tyre – ever. So this is a first for me.

“Providence must have been on my side, though, because I had just read an article in Sport Pilot about the importance of carrying a spare tube.

“I figured it didn’t weigh much and, although I didn’t really believe I would ever need it, I got one anyway and threw it in the back.

“How lucky is that?”

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The owner of this Jabiru J230 made the perfect place to pitch a tent

When I left Geoff to his task of changing the errant tyre, he had a handful of assistants to help him lift the aircraft and place a brick under the axle, to allow him to remove the wheel and replace the tube. Nothing could be found in the tyre which would account for the flat, which sparked much speculation with group. Whatever the problem, it didn’t really matter because Geoff had the foresight to be carrying that spare tube.

The Sydney Recreational Flying Group was represented at AirVenture in the form of Chris Maddox and his mate, Pete Sackett, who had flown in from The Oaks.

The pair travelled via Rylstone, taking just over three hours for the trip in the group’s A22 Foxbat.

“It was a good trip over and, as always, the Foxbat performed faultlessly,” Chris said.

Chris had already been through much worse weather that the Narromine rain. He was present at The Oaks when the intense storm hit the airfield last year and said it was simply terrifying.

“I was in a caravan and really hoping it didn’t become part of the destruction.

“You can’t really appreciate the power of mother nature until you go through a storm like that,” he said.

“It was my first experience and I am hoping it will be my last. You are left totally at the mercy of the elements. It was only good luck the caravan remained in one piece.

“When I came outside afterwards, I couldn’t believe the destruction around me. I knew I was lucky not to be hurt. I knew the aircraft and infrastructure which had been destroyed could always be replaced.”

As usual there were some pretty spectacular aircraft on display, none more so than the stunning Zodiac XL of Jeff Bailey.

Jeff is very proud of his aircraft and so he should be. The quality of its fit and finish is impeccable and the paintwork flawless.

“I had a love hate relationship with the build and actually took some time off during the construction,” Jeff said.

“I needed a break and decided to take it. The last thing I wanted was to rush the build and not get it right,” he added.

At the end of the day Jeff took about four years to get his pride and joy flying and only recently had it registered.

“I first applied for registration in November 2016 and had it granted in December of that year. It was one of the happiest days of my life, I reckon.”

One of the interesting features of Jeff’s aircraft is the control lock mechanism.

“I tried a few things first like using the seat belt, but I found the controls were still a bit loose and tended to move a little.

“So I came up with the clamping idea and it has worked out really well.”

24 / SPORT PILOT

The ingenuity of aircraft builders will never cease to amaze and shows that each and every one of them has a very special pride in what they do.

That ingenuity and can-do attitude is also very evident in Lyle Passfield’s Jodel D9 – which he assures me is now closer to a D18 than D9.

Although the paintwork is not really eyecatching or impressive, the modifications are.

“I have made over 18 separate safety related changes over the years,” Lyle said with pride.

“In fact, the only thing original is the registration number.” Lyle isn’t overly concerned about the look of his aircraft, although he is planning a repaint…um sometime soon.

“I was at a fly-in once and they were judging aircraft. They only had four entries, so I decided to add mine to the mix. “Guess what? They didn’t even want to look at it. How rude is that?” he said, with a totally false sense of indignity.

“They were more interested in pretty paint jobs than safety modifications and good old Aussie ingenuity,” he laughed.

Sport Pilot will have a full report on the extensive work done by Lyle on his aircraft in the January 20218 edition.

AirVenture 2017 had it all - new products, aircraft, new engine types and lots of forums to keep even the most ardent aviator and spectator happy.

And, oh yes, did I mention the rain?

A I R V E N TU RE AU STRALIA

A matter of faith

I

BY BRIAN BIGG

t’s probably fair to say that, if you want to crowded in, but even they have to concede they organise an event as weather dependant had more feet past their wares, because they as an air show / fly-in, you will need to have weren’t spread out all across the field. Some faith in some sort of God who can influence years I struggled to find an exhibitor way over the the climate. far end of the field. This year, they were all within For an event as big as AirVenture Australia, balsa glider distance of each other. I preferred it thousands of dollars must be spent preparing too, because it gave you the feeling there was a for the weekend, all of buzz and a crowd. When which might as well be they spread out, you nevpoured down the toilet er get the feeling there’s if the clouds come over a good sized crowd. and the rain falls just as There has also been it gets underway. some bleating about the I go to lots of these sorts fences. There were miles of events each year and and miles of fences. No the only consistent things fun for all the old crowd I’ve seen at each one who prefer standing near are the worried glances their planes and havat the sky. You know the ing the public admire organisors start silently them up close. But, if praying every time a you want a big crowd of cloud wanders past. If I non-aviators through the ran a fly-in, I’d save some gate to help you pay for of the gate takings to buy everything, you have to a large bottle of whisky to make it tough for them to dull the pain. sneak in without paying.

The reason few Queenslanders made the trip So the fear all their hard And you have to make work was going to be for nothing this year, must sure the dopes don’t stroll into a propeller or have been why there were so many big smiles on break something expensive while hoisting young everyone’s faces over the weekend. Giddy relief Johnny up to get a photo. The fences didn’t stop that the sun came out just in the nick of time. me from going for a walk along the lines.

The lead up weather was terrible. Few got out The airshow side of the weekend was much betof Queensland VFR in the days before. A couple ter than normal. The special public viewing area of people who did come south, either arrived out near the runway was a great idea. The on-air very early, or went a long way into the outback commentary was also better than I have heard to go around the front. Some spent hours on in years, so obviously someone went to an efthe ground midway, waiting for a break. Queens- fort to research and prepare. I actually learned landers who braved the trip reported it was a something. You couldn’t hear any of it out at the bumpy journey and all were hoping for things to public viewing area though, so that is something improve for the trip home. Few would have got they need to look at. out of Sydney on the Friday, but it was obvious They also need to get someone many left their decision until Saturday morning who knows entertainment to and got lucky. A perfect day trip as it turned out. look at the airshow schedule.

Tons of Victorians turned up. The weather to the Having the Roulettes up first south was much better all week. made it hard for the followWhat was also good this year was the properly ing displays to make an organised trade/seminar area. For the first time, impact. The crowd ooh-ed there was an exhibition hall right in the centre of and ahh-ed the Roulettes’, things with seminar rooms, logically and clearly but stood there chatting laid out, beside them. It was a simple matter to during others because they see which seminars were on, and when, and to seemed somewhat less exdecide which to attend. The exhibition hall, where citing by comparison. I reckon RAAus and others were set up, was a place you a fly-by of some loud, heavy metal could go to get out of the sun. A great idea which Air Force thing would not have gone needs to be expanded upon. astray either. See if Matt Hall can ask his former The trade area was also properly done this time. colleagues for a favour.

A couple of the exhibitors complained of being Matt’s display of course, was its usual headline

grabbing greatness. The crowd could have stood there watching him until it got dark.

For me, the unexpected highlight of the weekend were the seminars. I attended several, just for the fun of it, and came away quite cheery. I will attend even more next time because they were much better than I had anticipated. For the first time, I conducted my own seminar on Sport Pilot.

The hardy souls who sat through my presentation got to learn about how Sport Pilot gets put together each month.

My seminar was also nearly the death of me.

During the question and answer period, one of the attendees asked me why we didn’t run many stories about trips pilots made. I explained that few people were interested in reading about someone else’s journey unless there was something particularly unique or interesting about it. I used, as an example, Rick Frith’s excellent articles Sport Pilot ran last year on dinosaurs and meteor holes. At the end of my seminar, one of my audience came up to introduce himself. It was Rick Frith! He gave me such a fright and I frantically tried to remember if I had said anything bad about him. He assured me I hadn’t.

Thank goodness. It pays to only say nice things about people. I have a great email relationship with Rick, but we had never met in person before. I took the opportunity to ask him to write more stories for Sport Pilot.

All in all, it was a good weekend, even if it was only really the Saturday. I couldn’t help thinking that the healthy crowd they got through the gates would have been even healthier if the event was held closer to a major population centre. And that perhaps it would be worth exploring a deal with a travel company to run busses from Canberra or Sydney for the public (and pilots) unable to drive to Narromine.

And how many people didn’t come because there were so few hotel rooms in town. Like all of us, I want to see the event grow.

But can it grow when it is so far from the crowds of a city, where there are so few local facilities and where the whole weekend hinges on how good a relationship the organisors have with their weather God. But they are on the right track. Many of the worries I had in the past about NatFly and Oz-Kosh were addressed this year. The whole thing looks like it is on a professional footing at last. Well done RAAus for sticking with it. Fingers crossed for next year.

“The airshow side of the weekend was much better”

25 / SPORT PILOT

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We believe we struck the right balance between a member fly-in and an airshow�

The RAAus team which brought you AirVenture 2017

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AirVenture delivers

BY MIC HAEL LINKE, C EO

A

S the sun sets on another wonderful event out of Narromine, everyone wants to know: was it successful?

Firstly, thank you to everyone who attended. Thanks also go to our co-hosts from the Australian Parachute Federation. We very much value our working partnership and believe aviation is stronger by groups such as ours, working together.

We hope we met your expectations and we look forward to your feedback.

Thank you also to the RAAus team which supported the event in both the lead up and during the three days.

How do you define success for an event of this nature? Is it crowd numbers? Is it the number of aircraft which flew in? Is it engagement with members and potential new members? Is it how many people attended seminars? Or is it that the event concluded without incident? Each of these, in a way, is a small measure of success and based, on the pure metrics of these factors, yes the event was successful.

For me though, as CEO of RAAus, I go back to the original event concept and ask myself - did we achieve what we set out to achieve? The original event concept, developed by the project planning team in December 2016 reads: “AirVenture 2017 will be a double faceted three day event with two key outcomes: • a fly-in for members of sport aviation bodies, including aviation and non-aviation activities; • a limited air show which encourages the public to attend and exposes them to aviation; Additionally, the event should not expose founding organisations to any financial deficit.”

Going by those measures, yes the event was a success. We delivered on exactly what we promised. More than 440 members and other pilots flew in and took part. Additionally, a limited airshow was offered. The event ran for three days and offered more than 50 seminars and 40 exhibitors. The airshow component ran for two hours. We believe we struck the right balance between a member fly-in and an airshow.

Financially, the event was hit hard by the last minute withdrawal of sponsorship funds. Whereas this isn’t the place to unpick the circumstances surrounding the matter, it is the place to say that RAAus was always a part of the event and at no time did our support waiver. We are indebted to David Young and the team at AirVenture Australia for staying the course and delivering a successful, enjoyable and safe event. We will obviously share the financial results of the weekend when they become available.

For the event to succeed in the future we need the support of corporate sponsors. Thank you to those companies which gave so much this year, Narromine Shire Council, QBE, CASA and OzRunways. Thanks also to the 40 exhibitors and 55 seminar presenters, you contributed so much.

We also need the support of you, the RAAus members. We are strong because of the 9,000 members supporting us. There is something we are reaching for. AirVenture Australia is an event by aviators, for aviators and we see it as the premier event on our calendar. AirVenture Australia is still in its infancy - though it is already seen as the leading trade and educational member fly-in in Australia. We hope to see you next year as we work together to grow it even more.

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Wayne discovers that his waterproof tent isn’t really waterproof 28 / SPORT PILOT

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Karma is a soggy tent

BY WAY NE MC LUC A S

A

LAN Betteridge, who is a good mate of mine, invited me to go with him to the fly-in/airshow at Narromine this year.

Our significant halves both declined the pleasure of a long van ride, so it became a boy’s road trip. It also meant no extra stuff to pack and carry. Just the tent, some basic camping gear and nature at its best.

The departure date arrived, but so did the abysmal weather in the Wide Bay (Qld) region, with pouring rain for days, soggy yards and how much more rain can one take?

The land was saturated, even the birds stayed under cover. Having never before been to the flyin, I reasoned that Narromine couldn’t be as bad as Wide Bay. I looked forward to saying goodbye to the lack of sunshine, goodbye to the pouring rain, goodbye to wet clothes and sogginess underfoot. Or so I thought. The Colorado was loaded and the mood was high.

It rose even more on the way south, when sunshine and dry roads appeared around Kingaroy.

A quick phone call home was required to rub in just how very pleasant the conditions were.

“Yeah, yeah”, she said. “It’s still throwing it down back here. The total is now up to 400mm and more expected”. Oh dear.

The road was bumpy and undulating in places but, all in all, a safe and enjoyable trip. We arrived at Narromine in good spirits. Plenty of people were there and already set up. There was one last thing to do before hitting the refreshments ourselves and that was to set up our own simple camp.

We’d both done this before so we expected no drama. There was hardly a cloud in the sky, but we pulled out the under-tent tarp anyway, just in case, then popped up the quick-erect tent.

The wind started to pick up, which, of course is when we discovered we’d left the tent pegs in my car back at home. I was left holding the half erected tent in place while Alan raced into town to buy new pegs.

When he returned, the tent was quickly set up, the air beds put in place, bedding and clothing sorted. Outside we set up the table, selected a shady spot for the chairs, filled the esky and waited for its contents to get cold. Then it was just a matter of sitting back and shooing away

the flies, of which there were millions. Alan said flies were normal, because this was, after all, a ‘fly-in’. His sense of humour is often wasted on me. A camping neighbour came over for a chat and to point out the slowly appearing dark clouds on the western horizon. I trusted him when he said he was a pilot and that, in his opinion, the rain front was expected to slide to the south.

The first spots of rain arrived just on sunset.

The wind picked up even more and we scurried to keep exterior gear dry. We decided on an early night. The sound of rain on the tent was lovely, but did not really give us a true assessment of the amount of water falling on our roof. That was, until I felt the first drips on my feet.

My initial thought was that, although it wasn’t a good sign, I could handle the odd drop or two.

Sometime later I was woken by a droplet on my face, then another on my arm. I reached down to the floor of the tent and discovered it was awash.

Time to get up. Time? It was 3.30am. In the next hour, the rain just bucketed down. It was very soggy underfoot, more in the tent than outside. The air beds were floating.

A look outside revealed our neighbour was floating in his swag. He’d set up in the back of his ute and its tub had slowly filled with water.

Being far smarter than us, he moved his swag into the laundry area of the amenities block and went back to sleep again. For Alan and I there was nowhere dry but the front seat of our truck.

Sunrise revealed the extent of the disaster.

The camp area was filled with damp, cold and miserable tough blokes. Wet clothes, wet pillows and, for me, the echo of my wife’s laughter. Even the sticky Narromine flies had their landing gear down.

Pilots who’d slept under wing were soggy, phones were wet and towels saturated. You could tell the organisers were nervous. Expectant pilots were delaying their arrival and the success of the fly-in hinged on what happened with the weather in the next 24 hours.

Luckily, later in the day, the wind picked up again. The clouds began to blow away. Out came the sunshine and the sound of the incoming planes could be heard overhead. The fly-in was saved.

Alan and I had a great day while our wet camp was spread out to dry in the sun. Harder to take was the unsympathetic laughter when we arrived home and told of our adventures.

On a positive note, there are hardly any flies in Wide Bay at this time of the year. That has to be a good thing.

Even after the rain the wet remained.

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Note Wayne’s now soaked bed on the

right

A I R VEN TU RE AU STRALIA

Jo and Terry McDonald

Pilot’s paradise STORY AND PIC S AL AN BE T TERID GE

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f you decide to fly in to Narromine, there is one thing you can be sure to count on.

That’s the hospitality of Jo and Terry McDonald, the new owners of the Narromine Tourist Park. Jo and Terry have owned the park for 19 months and, after their first baptism of fire at last year’s OzKosh event, were more than ready for this year’s AirVenture.

They are quickly becoming known to pilots.

After all, the park is situated right next door to the aerodrome. In fact, it shares a dividing fence, and is within walking distance of the entire field.

It makes a nice change not to have to catch a taxi or ride into town after a late landing.

Jo said that, although she and her husband hadn’t had any time off in the past 19 months,

Jo and Terry McDonald welcome

owning the park was just like being on holiday.

“When you meet people who have flown in, it’s just like being on holiday yourself,” Jo said.

Pilots and passengers are especially well looked after with Jo and Terry going out of their way to ensure everyone has an enjoyable experience.

“Terry and I are only too pleased to give pilots a lift into town or arrange to get fuel for them,” Jo said. “I have even lent my car to a few of them so they could have a look around,” she added.

“The AirVenture event is not just good for us, but the whole region benefits. Not only from the money which comes into town, but the exposure the region gets, which is great for tourism.”

The park offers either campsites ($15 unpowered or $25 powered), hot showers and clean 30 / S P O R T P I L O T

park guest Roz Jeffrey

amenities. Or if you prefer there is also a range of motel type accommodation. There are 11 ensuite rooms and the complex has a communal kitchen and lounge area.

“If pilots are just stopping over for a short time, the showers are available for a small fee,” Terry said.

Jo said they were planning on adding a swimming pool, something which will be appreciated in the region’s hot summer months.

“We hope to have the pool installed and ready for use by early February. If anyone is coming this way and would like us to arrange something for them, all they have to do is call and we will do our best to help.”

Jo and Terry can be contacted on (02) 6889 2129.

A I R V E N TU RE AU STRALIA

AirVenture adventure

BY THE OP S TE AM

F

IRSTLY, congratulations to those pilots who successfully flew to and from Narromine, in challenging weather. We all know pilots mostly fly without incident, excitement or adventure. However, occasionally something happens to change the incident free scenario. It can put a focus on the knock-on effects for our other adventures.

SO WHAT WAS THE AIRVENTURE ADVENTURE?

The adventure was particularly relevant for one pilot who flew in company to Narromine with another pilot. Let’s call them John and Tony. Tony arrived at Narromine and expected to see John arrive soon after. But three hours later, John was still not there and, more worryingly, John wasn’t answering his phone!

Tony called John’s wife to see if she had heard from him. So now John’s wife was thinking the worst and became distressed. Tony then asked for help from the AirVenture organisers but, with no phone contact and no real idea where John might be, the situation looked bad.

Thankfully John arrived soon afterwards with a story about a flat tyre and delays while it was repaired.

Let’s think about this scenario a little further. The next step for a responsible pilot, worried about his friend, would have been to report John overdue to the Joint Rescue Coordination

Centre on 1800 815 257. Assuming John had a Personal Locator Beacon registered with them, the JRCC would have tried to call John and the three contacts John had to supply to them as part of the registration process.

The JRCC is the search and rescue section of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. It is responsible for coordinating the search and rescue of anyone lost in the area of the world for which Australia is responsible (almost a tenth of the earth’s surface). JRCC can use any and all resources for search and rescue, including the Australia Defence Force, state and federal police, SES, volunteers and even civilian flights.

Excellent presentations about the JRCC’s role were delivered by Leigh and Peter from JRCC at AirVenture. The point which struck me specifically was their commitment to the task.

They were genuinely concerned about the safety and wellbeing of all pilots. They regularly go above and beyond the minimums to make sure a pilot is safe or, if rescue is needed, to task whatever resources are required to find them. These search and rescue functions are provided at no cost to the missing person, so I know what I would be doing if I needed help.

What is the moral our AirVenture adventure? Register your beacon with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (www.amsa.gov.au), preferably a model fitted with GPS and include details of your trips. This makes the job of the JRCC personnel easier, because they can con-

tact you, your designated additional contacts and use satellites and other technology to find you if you activate your beacon. Think about the impact on others if you are overdue or delayed.

Use your mobile to call friends and let them know, or at least leave it turned on to allow others to call you.

Aussies are fortunate an agency like JRCC is available to them, to provide rescue whether flying, boating, camping or driving in the outback.

All that is required is a Personal Locator Beacon (preferably with GPS) and registration with AMSA. The JRCC personnel will do the rest if a beacon is activated.

The AirVenture adventure wasn’t really a bad adventure, nothing bad happened, no-one was hurt and no aircraft were damaged. But John’s wife was sure to give him a serve when he got home. The AirVenture organisers probably aged a little and, if John had set off a beacon, the JRCC would have swung into action, tasked resources, aircraft and pilots to try and find him.

Although Friday was wet and the rain along the east coast in the days leading up to AirVenture reduced attendance, it was still successful. Pilots and aircraft arrived and departed in orderly ways, the airshow ran without a hitch, attendees swarmed the RAAus site, asked lots of questions and attended seminars on a wide variety of subjects.

And everyone made it home safely, which is how you judge success.

When you are up here you need to know what is happening at a glance.

Glance EFIS

Proudly brought to you by Ph: 0412 702 680 E: info@sapphireavionics.com.au W: www.sapphireavionics.com.au

31 / S P O R T P I L O T

RI GH T S EA T A N E CDOT E S

Red sock v green sock

BY DAVID P. E Y RE

MIKE TUOHY, THE CFI AT CHINCHILLA IN QUEENSLAND, CONTACTED ME WITH A PROBLEM. HE WAS TRAINING A CHAP WHO SEEMED TO HAVE A PROBLEM IDENTIFYING LEFT AND RIGHT.

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HEN instructed to turn left the student would try to turn right or, when told that the right wing was low, used right rudder to correct this. Mike wanted to know what was wrong and how to overcome the problem.

In fact, this is not an especially rare situation. I have often come across similar situations in the past.

One case, in particular, is worth commenting on.

Sometime ago a German couple wanted to convert their German pilot licences to Australian. After the paperwork and briefing were completed, it was decided the husband would fly first and his wife would observe from the back seat of the Cessna. As we commenced our take-off, the aircraft, as usual started to yaw to the left and when the pilot did not act to correct this, I pattered “more right rudder”.

His response was to apply some left rudder.

Again I repeated “more right rudder” again no response. At this stage, his wife, from the back seat leaned forward and told me to tell him to use left rudder. In spite of this being against all my natural inclinations, I told him “more left rudder” and he immediately applied right rudder and the take-off and climb out proceeded fairly normally after that. During the post-flight briefing I suspected this man had a form of dyslexia. Because of my medical background, I knew what this meant and also the implications for people suffering the disorder.

The word ‘Dyslexia’ is derived from the Greek, meaning ‘difficulty with words’. Dyslexia

is a very broad term and can be mild or severe.

It manifests itself in many forms, one of which is difficulty with spatial orientation and confusion determining left or right. The cause of dyslexia is not known, despite intensive research, but we do know it seems to be related to the short term memory and the information processing part of the brain.

We do know it is not related to IQ levels, nor to any other idiopathic cause. There is no known cure but strategies can be developed to enable affected people to cope.

Nowhere is this more evident than in some of the very famous people who have been reported as having dyslexia.

Thomas Edison, Leonardo da Vinci, Richard Branson, Alexander Bell, Winston Churchill, Henry Ford, Pablo Picasso, Michael Faraday, Walt Disney and Steve Jobs are just some of those people.

I wonder sometimes if I have a mild form because, when I am upside down performing a loop, I cannot decide which way to move the control column to keep the wings level.

People with a left/right interpretation problem, can develop strategies to overcome or even mask their difficulty. For example; they might tie a piece of string around their right hand. Some will always have their watch on one wrist or the other and know it represents left or right. One common strategy is to hold their left hand out with the thumb extended.

This forms the letter ‘L’. Some sufferers even tattoo a big L or R on their hands. I know one air traffic controller who wears a red sock on

32 / S P O R T P I L O T

his left foot and a green sock on his right foot, so he can sort out port and starboard.

Generally, pilots with dyslexia can learn to cope. But if they are recognised as not coping during their training, they should be encouraged to visit a psychologist for proper investigation. Because the condition can be diagnosed in later life and can be quite serious, consideration should be given to suspending their training until an assessment is made. People with the condition can be embarrassed and become distressed by their confusion. When offering counsel about referral to a psychologist, it would be prudent to have due consideration for their feelings.

In the case of Mike Tuohy, I advised him to try not mentioning the words left and right, but simply to indicate with his hand which direction to turn. Because the confusion is with words, it may be useful to not to say, e.g., “pick up the right wing” but to say instead “keep the wings level”.

Another confusion can become apparent if the instructor uses the terms ‘port’ or ‘starboard’. These words are archaic and should not be used in the modern world, especially if their use becomes confusing for the student.

If the dyslexic pilots out there have any specific strategies which help them cope with their disorder, please let us know so it can be used to perhaps help others. Names held in confidence, of course.

David welcomes your own aviation anecdotes.

Email them to editor@sportpilot.net.au

FLY -IN S

Lovely morning for it

Lots of good food to go around

Flying by hand

Burdekin brekky

BY STE VE MC GUIRE

Burdekin Aero Club held a breakfast fly-in on September 10 at its home airfield of YAYR. The fly-in was organised at short notice but still attracted 16 aircraft and around 40 visitors and locals.

It was an opportunity to update pilots from the surrounding areas on the Burdekin Shire Council’s moves to obtain a 24-hour Avgas, and possibly, Avtur, supply. Once this happens (it was even hoped it could happen by the end of the year), YAYR will be a convenient stop for aircraft flying the coastal route in North Queensland.

33 / S P O R T P I L O T

POSTER

FOR RICHARD

BY BARRY WRENFORD

The aircraft in the photograph is a Foxbat on floats, operating on Lake Jindabyne.

The photo was taken from my jet boat, paralleling the take-off. It couldn’t keep up after 40kts. My wife, Robyn, took the photos while I drove.

The pilot of the Foxbat was Richard Holgate. At the time, Richard was operating a seaplane flying school. Just five weeks after this photo was taken, he was killed, along with Peter Frith, while evaluating a Super Petrel to add to his school.

POSTER OPPORTUNITY

Want to see yourself or your aircraft larger than life on your clubhouse or bedroom wall?

Sport Pilot is offering subscribers the chance to show off their favourite aviation photo in this double page centre spread of the magazine each month.

Each edition one photo will be chosen (We will try and make sure every photo sent in gets a run). If you are an aircraft seller, it’s a great chance to show off your product.

36 / S P O R T P I L O T

If you have a fancy paint job, now is the time to show it off. And if you have a great photograph of you and your mates at a fly-in, it will make a good memento.

Send your photos (as separate jpeg attachments) to editor@sportpilot. net.au. It obviously has to be in landscape, not portrait, mode and be as big a file as possible please.

E D I T O R’ S CHO I CE

Is there a pilot on board ?

BY BRIAN BIGG

ADMIT IT. WE HAVE ALL HAD THAT DREAM. YOU ARE SITTING MIDWAY DOWN THE 747, WATCHING A TERRIBLE MOVIE STARRING NICHOLAS CAGE, WHEN THE SEATBELT LIGHT SUDDENLY GOES ON. OVER THE PA SYSTEM THE STEWARD ASKS THE MOST DRAMATIC QUESTION OF ALL, “IS THERE A PILOT ON BOARD?”

H

ESITATINGLY, after meerkatting and seeing that no one else is volunteering, you put up your hand. “I’m a private pilot,” you timidly report to the nearest steward who looks at you with hope in her eyes.

“Come with me please sir,” she says and rushes you to the front of the aircraft where you discover the two pilots, unconscious on the floor of the cockpit. “They both ate the chicken”, the steward explains to you.

“Can you land us?” She asks. “I’ll try,” you reply in your most manly (or womanly) and modest voice. In my dream I always land the aircraft successfully, much to the joy of all the passengers, especially the Norwegian supermodel in seat 1C. But in real life? It’s not so simple. According to the statistics, if the autopilot is already engaged when you take over control, you and the passengers have about a one in 10 chance of walking away alive. Not bad odds.

But if the autopilot is not already engaged, the odds drop to about one in 100. Not great. Tests in the U.S involving private pilots taking over control of large jets on simulators, revealed that we know just as much about the advanced airliner cockpit as the Norwegian supermodel in 1C. The tests showed pilots could maintain control while in the air, but invariably mucked up close to the ground. They inadvertently turned off vital equipment and, when all was said and done, had little impact on the flight (up to the point of impact, of course).

It’s almost better to stay in your seat. The odds of dying on a commercial

airline flight these days have dropped to either nine million to one or 60 million to one, depending on which source you read.

Either way it’s pretty good. Even if the worst does happen, your odds aren’t as bad as you might think. 95% of all crashes have survivors. Improve your chances by sitting up the back. A study (you guessed it, in the U.S) found passengers in the rear of the plane were 40% more likely to survive than those in the first few rows. By the way, if the plane does crash, you have only 90 seconds to get off before it catches fire, so sit near an emergency exit. They call that 90 seconds, ‘the golden time’.

The other rule is not to panic.

Many plane crash victims could have survived if they had just kept their wits about them. Some people have drowned because, in their fear, they inflated their life vest while still inside and floated to the top of the cabin, unable to swim down to escape through the door. You still aren’t safe when you do get out either. A young woman died in 2014 when she escaped a burning aircraft, only to be run over and killed by the fire truck which had rushed up to fight the blaze.

So cheer up. It’s been found (those U.S researchers are busy people, aren’t they?) that people who survive plane crashes are healthier and happier than travellers who have never been involved in aviation incident. And why not? After all, none of us wants to come back to earth in any landing configuration other than with the wheels down and locked, the runway piano keys underneath and the Norwegian supermodel in 1C smiling gratefully at you for having saved her life.

Merry Christmas.

Many plane crash victims could have survived if they had just kept their wits about them

37 / S P O R T P I L O T

A I RC RAFT FEATU RE

Frome bo weeks e r th r e d in un

BY ERROL VAN RENSBURG

ERROL WANTED THE NEW BUSHCAT TO BE READY FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO SHOW OFF AT AIRVENTURE AUSTRALIA IN NARROMINE IN OCTOBER. HE ALSO WANTED TO SHOW EVERYONE JUST HOW QUICKLY AND EASILY IT CAN BE PUT TOGETHER. HERE IS HOW HE DID BOTH.

vt

Start 17 August The crates with the BushCat kit arrived.

Everything well packed and numbered.

We’ve converted the packing crate to a sturdy work bench.

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Day 1:

Study the manual and getting to grips with the methodology. Unwrapped the parts and checked if it corresponds with the manual. All parts are numbered in sections, which correspond to the drawing numbers and really easy to follow. We spend about six hours building today and basically completed the fuselage frame.

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A I RC RAFT FEATU RE

ox to BushCat s vt

Day 2:

We’ve covered the vertical stabiliser, the ventral fin and the fuselage.

The lacing and tightening of sails (cover) is a time consuming job, but went quite well. We’ve now spent a total of 12 hours to date and happy with the progress. All parts fit well; the manual is easy to follow.

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Day 3:

The main canopy fairing is now fitted, control stick is in, flap handle and rods fitted and seatbacks and harnesses all fitted.

Main undercarriage gear leg on, wheels and tyres etc. all fitted. Lesson learned: follow the manual to the tee.

It feels unreal that this aircraft is already on its wheels in only three days! Total of 20 hours, two people.

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Day 4:

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This is Kitbuild 101. We were able to fit the armrests and throttle controls/ cables, the firewall pre-fitment and the cables for the chokes. We are now at about 24 hours total time into the build.

The manual is easy to follow.

vt vt 39 / S P O R T P I L O T

A I RC RAFT FEATU RE

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Day 5: We fitted the firewall. The gluing of the fire blanket took some time, but if you are careful you can have a good finish. We also completed the pre-fit of the floors and the centre console.

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Day 6:

Finished off the installation of the floor and seat bottoms. Started on the wings and needed quite a bit of intense scrutineering of the drawings and instructions. With the left and right wing frame identical and mirror images, you need to be very careful not to bolt the parts the wrong way around.

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Day 7:

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Finished both wings, fitted the struts and wings.

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Day 8:

We completed the flaps, ailerons and wingtips. We also fitted the wingtip lights, lenses, jury struts and started on covering the horizontal stabiliser.

vt 40 / SPORT PILOT

A I RC RAFT FEATU RE

vt

Day 9: Most of today was spend covering the empennage parts and installing horizontal stabiliser, elevator and fitting cross bracing of cables etc.

Day 10:

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Day 11:

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We have now spent two weeks building the BushCat from scratch... and the airframe is done. Wings on, all control surfaces finished, control cables connected and airframe is now ready for engine fitment.

Instrument panel was laser cut by 3 Metals in Yatala. This kit is perfect, very quick and easy to build.

The engine, plus the subframe, was installed on to the main frame by means of the engine mounts.

Day 12:

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Today we did the carbie heater kit, oil reservoir, regulator, exhaust and fitted the engine cowls. All the cables, pipes etc. from the cockpit are perfectly lined up with the engine or carbie. No guesswork.

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A I RC RAFT FEATU RE

vt

Day 13: We finished off the cowl and completed the total firewall forward in about eight hours. The instrument panel is now cut to size, carbon look vinyl applied.

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Day 14: Fitted the propeller, fuel tanks and switches. Instruments, as well as radio and intercom.

Day 15:

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Finished the wiring and completed the engine installation.

vt vt 42 / SPORT PILOT

A I RC RAFT FEATU RE

vt Day 16: Installed the windshield, doors and finalised all the wiring to switches.

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Day 17:

September 20 Done. A quality aircraft built in under 20 days.

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Completed the instrument panel markings and cleaned up wiring looms. Weight and balance done, starting paperwork, taxi runs and, in a couple of days, test flights.

Errol Van Rensburg (L) and James Weightman

43 / SPORT PILOT

A I RC RAFT FEATU RE

The right plane for the wrong category

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BY AL AN BE T TERIDGE

HEN the FAA first introduced its much anticipated LSA rules in 2004, there was high anticipation the sector would boom.

For many, the biggest advantage was the removal of the requirement to hold a Class 3 medical, which, in essence would allow the holders of a valid U.S driver’s licence to operate within the new category.

For the most part, the bigger light plane manufacturers adopted a wait and see policy.

It wasn’t until 2006 that Cessna announced it would do a feasibility study into developing and producing an aircraft compliant with the FAA’s new rules.

44 / SPORT PILOT

Nine months after launching the concept plan, the first prototype departed McConnell Air Force base bound for Cessna’s Mid-Continent airport in Wichita.

The proof of concept aircraft was powered by a Rotax 912ULS engine and reached a cruising speed of 110kts.

The program was formally launched on July 10, 2007 followed by the unveiling of a fullscale mock-up and details about the planned production version on July 22 at EAA Airventure at Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Cessna had not built a two-seat aircraft since the C152. That had ceased production in 1985 after a production run of 7,584 units and,

A I RC RAFT FEATU RE

to many people, the 162 was the replacement aircraft they had been waiting for.

The model, to be known as the Skycatcher, was an immediate hit with the people attending Oshkosh and by August 9 the company announced it had orders for 720 aircraft. By November, they had 850 firm orders and by the end of 2008, that number had risen to over 1,000.

By 2009, sales slowed, caused in no small part by the very success the aircraft was having.

Because, with over 1,000 orders in hand, Cessna announced that the delivery time had blown out to more than four years. A lot of cus-

“Delivery time had blown out to more than four years�

tomers did not want to wait that long.

Cessna also changed its mind about the powerplant to be used. The prototype had been powered by a Rotax 912ULS, but the company made the decision that production aircraft were to be fitted with the new Continental 0200D engine.

The change was demanded by Cessna flight school operators, who felt more comfortable with the four-cylinder Continental engine, which is among one of the most produced aircraft powerplants in history.

Many of the schools had a long association with the C150 (of which there were nearly

45 / SPORT PILOT

24,000 produced) which were powered with the Continental 0200A engine.

It was obvious they wanted an aircraft which would replace the venerable C150/152 and were not considering the Skycatcher as an LSA aircraft. That mindset was not what Cessna had planned for the C162, but they made the engine change nonethe-less.

The 0200D engine was considered lightweight, which it was when compared to the earlier 0200 variants. But at 93kgs, it was still some 30kgs heavier than the Rotax which it replaced.

A I RC RAFT FEATU RE

C162 instrument panel . Note the control setup

C162 used a Garmin G300 EFIS panel Cessna C162 Skycatcher LSA at Wings over Warwick in 2017

The right plane for the wrong category cont.

Another problem with the 0200D was it needed Avgas and was not certified to run on the cheaper Mogas which the Rotax could – a factor which was not really a concern in the U.S - but for the European market, where most LSA were sold, it very definitely was.

The Continental engine also used around three to four litres per hour more than the Rotax.

The engine change was not the only problem Cessna was to encounter on its venture into the world of LSA. In September 2008, a non-conforming prototype registered N162XP crashed into a tree line around 32kms south east of Wichita. The pilot parachuted to safety and suffered only minor injuries, but it raised doubts in the minds of many people about the safety of the aircraft.

The NTSB concluded that the aircraft was registered in the experimental category and was conducting a test flight when the accident occurred. The test sequence involved a series of stalls starting at 10,000ft and the aircraft had entered an unintentional flat spin. By 5,000ft the pilot had not regained control, and judged it was not possible to do so, and at that point he had bailed out of the stricken aircraft.

The test pilot reported that the 162 entered the spin from a cross-controlled, power-on stall.

Cessna indicated the testing had been outside that required for LSA certification and that the accident would result in only small design changes. It is interesting to note at this point that the aircraft in question was fitted with a ballistic recovery system, but it had failed to deploy when activated. Despite Cessna’s statements that the crash would involve only small changes to the design, by late 2008 the 162 had received a redesigned vertical stabiliser of greater area and less 46 / SPORT PILOT

sweep than the original. According to Cessna, wind-tunnel testing confirmed that due to the new configuration, the 162 now had no unrecoverable spin characteristics. The new stabiliser was fitted to the second test aircraft, N162CE, the company’s first production-conforming aircraft and flown on December 15, 2008.

With the new engine and larger fin, the empty weight was now becoming a problem. To help reduce the problem, the 162’s seats were redesigned and the seat structure changed from composite to aluminium. The larger fin also made the dorsal fin unnecessary and it was deleted from the design.

Despite the results of Cessna’s wind-tunnel testing, N162CE was involved in an accident in March 2009, in near identical circumstances to the crash of N162XP. During aggressive spin testing, with power on and in a cross-controlled condition, the aircraft entered into what the test pilot described as a

A I RC RAFT FEATU RE

The engine change was not the only problem Cessna encountered”

Cessna showed off its mock-up at the 2007 AirVenture

“rapid and disorienting spin”.

The pilot was unable to recover control and successfully deployed the ballistic recovery parachute, which halted the spin. However, the aircraft was now too low for the pilot to bail out. He remained with the aircraft. After the crash, which damaged the landing gear, the pilot exited the aircraft and attempted to deflate the parachute.

His attempts proved fruitless and the aircraft was dragged a kilometre into a fence and damaged beyond repair.

The crash of the second aircraft left the company with no flying aircraft for the testing program.

It also made Cessna consider more modifications and, when production finally started, the aircraft was fitted with a thicker wing and further changes to the tail, including the re-introduction of the ventral fin to make the aircraft more spin resistant.

Following the second crash, Cessna advised

that the program’s future was under review. On March 29, 2009 Cessna CEO Jack Pelton confirmed the 162 program would continue, saying: “The need for a modern, cost-effective twoseat trainer aircraft has never been greater and we are well positioned to meet that need.

“The Skycatcher program is an important part of our strategy.”

This statement once again gave the clue that Cessna’s thinking was more in line with the C162 as a replacement for the C152, not as a new entrant in the LSA category.

However, what Pelton had said was true and, in many respects, the Skycatcher was as modern and cost effective as they come. It offered many features which made it a very desirable aircraft. Its cabin width was a whopping 112cms, the same width as a C206.

Due to the wing configuration, it could also be fitted with large gull-wing doors, making entry and exit easy. The door windows went further 47 / SPORT PILOT

down, offering exceptional visibility.

The Skycatcher instrument panel was stateof-the-art with no conventional gauges or instruments and a Garmin G300 EFIS to display all flight and engine information.

Despite all of this, the aircraft still had problems.

Empty weight was climbing up towards 376kgs, which reduced usable payload to only 223kgs. Full fuel load (90ltr/65kg) reduced payload to just 158kgs – not a lot for two people plus some gear. Cessna’s method of calculating empty weight for the 162 didn’t include such items as the fire extinguisher, ELT, wheel pants, engine primer or unusable fuel, which most manufacturers normally included.

This led to early production aircraft having an equipped empty weight of 392kgs, which meant a full fuel payload of just 141kgs.

NEXT MONTH: Cessna loses faith.

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F EATU RE STORY

Weight and Balance

Part 3

BY ROB KNI G H T

L

AST time we looked at the essentials of flying the aeroplane in a balanced state – with the Centre of Gravity within the designer’s fore and aft limits. This time, we will look at the actual process for establishing the C of G of an empty aeroplane and compile a working table for easy use for future calculations. And, although you might think you don’t need it in recreational aircraft, you should still know it.

To work out the C of G of an aeroplane, and develop a working table for calculations, we need to follow a simple process. First, we need to find the C of G for the empty aircraft, then find the arms relevant to each of the weight additions we could make in operating the aeroplane.

master it

MARKING THE DATUM The aeroplane must be in its level flight attitude for the correct arm or distance measurements to be taken when it is weighed. Most manufacturers indicate how to achieve this by indicating a section against which a spirit level can be applied. Then, with the machine in its level flight attitude mark the datum on the floor. (Fig. 1).

WEIGH IT EMPTY You will require a set of platform scales (or similar) for each wheel. These can be bathroom scales, as long as they can carry the weight of the aircraft.

They should also be checked for accuracy. Start by weighing an empty 20 litre water container. Record the weight then fill the container with water. Add the weight of the dry container to 20kgs and you will know the test weight for the scales. A sample 20 litre plastic container I weighed = 1.09kgs so, under test, each set of scales should read very close to 21.1kgs. Where I find individual scale variations, I note them and apply them to the specific scale weights indicated when weighing the aeroplane. All scales should be zeroed. The ideal floor surface is smooth, level concrete, or cement plaster.

The aeroplane must be clean. Some parts of the aeroplane, such as the bilge areas, gather dirt and dust and the odd nut or screw. Left in place, these will destroy the integrity of the weights and arms we are trying to accurately establish. The aeroplane should be cleaned inside and out, including the inside of the wheel spats.

Useable fuel should be drained (unusable fuel is a component of the aeroplane’s empty weight). The engine oil should be at the full level. Other fluid levels in the aeroplane, such as brake fluid, should also be full.

Fig.1

Because the datum is given as being 1800mm ahead of the leading edge of the wing, drop a plumb-line from the leading edge of the wing and mark the floor 1800mm ahead of the line bob. Then do the same on the other wing. With a straight-edge, draw a line which joins these two marks.

This drawn line represents the datum, marked perpendicular to the aircraft longitudinal axis.

The next step is to measure the distances from the aeroplane’s axle centres to the datum. These must be measured as accurately as possible.

These measurements will make possible the calculation of the empty aeroplane C of G, the basis for the table we are constructing.

49 / SPORT PILOT

Weight and F EATU RE STORY

In my example, the distance between the main wheel axle centre and the datum is measured as 2538mm, and the distance from the nose wheel axle centre and the datum is 939mm (Fig. 2).

The table so far (Table 2).

ITEM

WT

EMPTY A/C

162.3

ARM

MOMENT 368424.6

Table. 2

We now have the empty aeroplane sussed. We have the weight of the empty aircraft and the total moment for the empty aeroplane recorded for our table. We now need to ascertain the arm for the pilot (Fig. 4).

Fig.2

As the definition of an arm is the distance between a force and the datum, these two measurements represent the arms for the sum of the main wheel weights and the nose wheel weight. With these arms to hand, it now remains to weigh each wheel of the aeroplane. At this point, by some means, the scales need to be placed beneath each wheel and the weight indicated by each scale recorded. It is a good idea to weigh each wheel several times to ensure you get the correct figure. As the sketch below indicates (Fig.3), the recorded main wheel weights are 67.6kgs for the left main wheel, 67.5kgs for the right main wheel and 27.2kgs for the nosewheel.

Fig.4

We seat the pilot in the aeroplane and re-weigh the machine. Note it must still be level. The new weights are as follow: Left main = 104.6kgs, right main = 104.5kgs, nosewheel = 33.2kgs. If we re-calculate the weights and moments and compare them with the last calculation, we can find the difference in weights and total moments. As Table 3 shows, the weight has increased by 80kgs and the total moment by 193446.0.

ITEM

WT

ARM

MOMENT

MAINS

209.1

2538

530695.8

NOSE

33.2

939

31174.8

242.3

2318.9

561870.6

Table. 3

Fig.3

We need to add the two main wheel weights together to get the weight acting and their specific arm from the datum. 67.6 +67.5 +27.2 = 162.3.

The moment for the empty aeroplane is now easily calculated as shown below (Table 1).

ITEM

WEIGHT

ARM

MOMENT

MAINS

135.1

2538

342882.8

NOSE

27.2

939

25540.8

I62.3

2270.0

368424.6

Total weight on wheels Table. 1

The new weight and moment = 242.3 and 561870.6 respectively.

Minus the first weight and moment = 163.2 and 368424.6 respectively.

Gives a weight change = 80kgs and a moment change = 193446.0.

As the weight increase is specific to the pilot, as is the moment change, then dividing the moment change by the weight change will give the arm for the pilot.

80

2418.04

193443.5

Table.4

The table now looks like this: (Table 5)

Total moment

ITEM

WT

EMPTY A/C

162.3

PILOT Table.5

50 / SPORT PILOT

ARM

MOMENT 368424.6

2418.04

Balance F EATU RE STORY

The next item to identify is the fuel arm. For this we follow the same process. Let’s add sufficient fuel to fill the tank – in this case that’s 40 litres. As the relative density of petrol is 0.72, we multiply 40 by 0.72 and get a weight of 28.8kgs. Then we re-weigh the three wheels on the aeroplane.

ITEM

WT

ARM

MOMENT

MAINS

155.8

2538

395420.4

NOSE

35.93

939

33146.7

191.1

428567.1

Table.6

The new weight and moment values = 191.1, and 428567.1 respectively.

Minus the first weight and moment values = 162.3 and 368424.6 respectively.

Gives a weight change = 28.8kgs and moment change = 60142.5.

As the weight increase is now specific to the fuel, as is the moment change, then dividing the moment change by the weight change, will give the arm for the fuel.

28.8

2088.28

60142.5

Table. 7

With the fuel arm now available, the table looks like this: ITEM

WT

EMPTY A/C

162.3

ARM

MOMENT

Then add the weights including the empty aircraft weight. The first check is that the calculated total weight of the aeroplane does not exceed the Maximum Take-Off Weight in the flight manual.

ITEM

WT

EMPTY A/C

162.3

2418.04

FUEL

2088.28

FUELKG

2088.28

BAGS KG

2569.98

Table. 11

If the weight is outside the stated limits, then one or more of the weights must be reduced until the maximum weight limit is no longer exceeded.

With the calculated weight confirmed to be within the flight manual limits, then dividing the total moment by this total weight will provide the arm (Centre of Gravity) position for the whole aeroplane in this load condition. Confirming that the calculated arm (Centre of Gravity position) does not exceed the limits specified in the Flight Manual, will confirm that the aeroplane is within its load limit envelope and is therefore safe for flight in this respect.

If the results are outside the stated limits, check your life insurance is paid up before your flight - your dependants may depend on it.

The next item to identify is the baggage arm and we do this in exactly the same fashion. We add 5kgs to the baggage area and weigh the aeroplane.

We get the following results: WT

ARM

MOMENT

MAINS

140.2

2538

355827.6

NOSE

27.1

939

25446.9

167.3

381274.5

Table. 9

The new weight and moment values = 167.3 and 381274.5 respectively.

Minus the first weight and moment values = 162.3 and 368424.6 respectively. Gives a weight change = 5.0kgs and moment change = 368423.6.

As the weight increase is now specific to the fuel, as is the moment change, dividing the moment change by the weight change will give the arm for the baggage.

5

2569.98

MOMENT 368424.6

2418.04

Table. 8

ITEM

ARM

PILOT KG

368424.6

PILOT (KG)

3 t r a P

12849.9

Table. 10

With the fuel arm now available, the completed table appears thus: (see Table 11) To use a table like this, enter the actual weights for the various items into their respective boxes and multiply these weights by their arms. Enter the resulting moments into their boxes and add the moments together, remembering to include the empty aeroplane moment.

51 / SPORT PILOT

There are only three things to know 1. Moment = weight x arm 2. Arm = moment / weight 3. Weight = moment / arm

SO YOU’VE HAD A CLOSE CALL? Why not share your story so that others can learn from it too? If we publish it, we’ll give you $500.

Email us at fsa@casa.gov.au Articles should be between 450 and 1000 words.

If preferred, your identity will be kept confidential.

If you have video footage, feel free to submit this with your close call.

Please do not submit articles regarding events that are the subject of a current official investigation.

Submissions may be edited for clarity, length and reader focus.

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FLI G HT IN S TRU CT OR ’ S F OR U M

R U Safe?

BY PROFES SOR AVIU S AV I AT I ON GU RU

W

hile there hasn’t been significant feedback yet from the National Safety Month Hangar Talks, the bit there has been has been mostly positive.

It’s been especially good to hear some of the older generation (grass roots members of AUF) are attending these forums with positive attitudes and new messages.

There were significant references and promotional material about IMSAFE in the lead up to Safety Month, but I have reservations about whether or not the message is really getting through.

Recently I had a student who is nearing first solo. He completed the preflight briefing correctly – the exercise was to deal with circuit emergencies using the PEA (Purpose/Exercise/Assessment) principle. The student then went through IMSAFE in the briefing room – and based on the responses, all seemed good.

• Illness • Medication • Stress • Alcohol • Fatigue • Eating We moved to the aircraft and completed the pre-flight, including a fuel check, and boarded.

In the pre-start check, we again went through IMSAFE. Again the response to each prompt seemed to be fine. Because it had been a couple of weeks since the student had last flown, he was advised that there would be no simulated emergencies in the first circuit - if the power did fail, it was for real. The take-off was, at best, ragged, then we turned onto crosswind and climbed through 1,000ft AGL and turned downwind still climbing. I intervened at 1,400ft – my alarms were ringing.

IMSAFE Poster 5.pdf

1

23/8/17

10:36 am

DO I HAVE AN ILLNESS OR ANY SYMPTOMS?

HAVE I TAKEN ANY MEDICATION?

AM I UNDER ANY STRESS?

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

WHEN WAS MY LAST DRINK?

AM I TIRED OR NOT ADEQUATELY RESTED?

Eating

HAVE I EATEN ENOUGH AND AM I HYDRATED?

IMSAFE

Illness Medication Stress Alcohol Fatigue

The student got things back under control, completed his pre-landing checks late on downwind and did a touch and go which wasn’t his best. The next circuit was not much better, so I called for a full stop on the next one.

After clearing the runways, I leant forward as he made the “clear of all runways” call. I could smell alcohol. We taxied, shut-down and I asked – what’s going on?

The response was “I had a pretty big night.”

I took a few deep breaths and asked why he hadn’t flagged it in the briefing room when we had gone through IMSAFE, or then again in the aircraft.

He replied he thought he’d be all right.

How could this situation have progressed so far? We spend significant time on IMSAFE and fitness to fly throughout all phases of training – including at the TIF. It may have been more than eight hours from bottle to throttle but his IMSAFE answer had been less than honest.

In completing checks (of any type) there is little benefit if it is not a thorough and considered assessment. I explained to the student the need for him to be 100% honest with himself, otherwise he was wasting his money and my time.

TYPE CONVERSION TRAINING

Pilot talk at the club bar often includes some dramatisation –stall characteristics, how short it can land etc. The talk usually progresses to how fast their aircraft cruises and how much fuel it (doesn’t) use. But when the question of power setting is raised, the responses are entertaining. At least they would be if it were not such a serious topic.

I was at a non-aviation related technical forum recently and in discussion with a fellow I have known for some time. I didn’t know he was an RAAus pilot and he didn’t know I was an instructor.

He told me he had recently purchased an RAAus aircraft. He’d had an instructor fly the aircraft to his home base and completed some type training with him. In our subsequent discussion, he revealed the conversion training had really amounted to a few circuits. No stalls, because the instructor didn’t like them, and no other emergencies. He also volunteered that he wasn’t comfortable in the aircraft dealing with crosswinds. He’d been taught the crab method, but had had a few scares in gusty conditions and felt he needed instruction on the crossed control method.

He asked if I would do some flying with him, in his aircraft, to address his areas of concern. How could I refuse? The guy had identified his deficiencies and so, by his own acknowledgement, was well down the track to fixing them.

The talk turned to the power settings he used. What does it cruise at?

What is the fuel burn? He told me a friend of his had a similar plane and had advised him to cruise at a particular setting. I asked about the fuel consumption at that RPM. He had no answer. What did the Pilot Operating Handbook say? Again no answer. The same with my next question about how much oil the POH advised the aircraft would use. He hadn’t read it.

So I asked how he could operate the aircraft within the manufacturer’s specifications if he didn’t know what those specifications were?

But the real issue here is not whether or not he operates the engine within the limits of the POH. The aircraft or engine designer will, in most circumstances, know more about the design/operating envelope than the operating pilot.

So it all came back to his type conversion training. A correct conversion would have stressed the need for him to pay attention to RAAP Number 1 (guidelines of considerations) and the POH (operating limitations).

It’s best not to skip the detail with the next type conversion training you complete.

raaus.com.au

53 / SPORT PILOT

R EAD ER STORY

USING TECHNOLO

PILOTS ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE COMFORTABLE USING ELECTRONIC FLIGHT BAGS, NOT ONLY IN

Why EFBs are the shiz niz

BY ELLEN FR ANKLIN OZ RU NWAYS

W

hen I first started my flight training, dreaming of my first solo was all I could think about. When my time came, I was nervous but also bursting at the seams with excitement. I couldn’t wait to push my instructor out the door of the aircraft I was flying. I think I barely braked for the poor guy to jump out!

Over 150 hours later, and with a fresh CPL in my pocket, I have come to miss my eagle-eyed instructor and his wisdom in flight. That being said, many of us already carry a fantastic learning tool in the cockpit with us on every flight, perhaps without even realising it. This is the Electronic Flight Bag. EFBs have made flying easier in many ways.

However, one feature still being discovered is the ability to review your flight once you are safely back on the ground. If you have the location services switched on, most EFBs will show your

position on a map as you fly. What this can also do is record your track history; including latitude and longitude, altitude and speed at set time intervals (only seconds between fixes). You can also see a summary of your flight with your whole track displayed on a satellite image.

The opportunities to use this information to refine your flying skills are endless. Take the circuit for example. Post flight, you can look back and ask yourself, was each circuit consistent?

Did I allow for wind accurately or did I experience drift? How well did I maintain height? Speed?

Centreline? From the comfort of your couch, or in nice cool air conditioning, these questions become much easier to answer.

I have spoken with many instructors who will analyse this data with their students after a flight. It can be pivotal to learning how wind effects your track to a navigation aid and hence how to orientate yourself.

54 / SPORT PILOT

“Use this information to refine your flying skills” It can also increase a pilot’s general navigation skills, particularly getting back on track when using low level navigation or dead reckoning. If a correction did not work during flight, you can review it and determine if it was a maths issue, or if you were simply not where you thought you were.

The data provides quantifiable measurements of your flying ability, which you can use to improve your skills by identifying trends, areas to work on, or setting yourself goals with reducing performance tolerances.

As a good friend and former World War Two pilot once said to me, “At 100 hours, you know you know everything. At 1,000, you think you know everything. And at 10,000, you realise how little you really know.”

R EAD ER STORY

OGY TO IMPROVE

N THE COCKPIT, BUT TO HELP THEM IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS. HERE ARE TWO PILOTS DOING JUST THAT.

Where did you go today?

BY KEN NIC HOL A S

I

s that a question asked by someone you know when you return from the wild blue yonder? I don’t know if all flyers are asked the question by their partners, but it is nice if there is some interest.

Recently in one of my learn-to-fly columns, I touched on the technology I use to tell me exactly where I actually go on each flight.

I have been in the habit recently of recording and producing my own 3D flight track, and this article is a step-by-step introduction on how you can relive your day’s flight the same way.

So you can answer, yes, I know almost exactly where I went today. I keep saying almost-exactly because the accuracy of the track you record will depend on the recording method you use, its sample rate and GPS signal quality. On some flights, for example, the recordings showed I made a couple of right-angle turns, but I don’t think the Tecnam actually turns that sharply.

I’m not an expert on this sort of technology, but I did get it to work for me quite satisfactorily. It was great to be able to go back and analyse the day’s events, particularly during my early training.

Follow these steps and you should be able to produce an elevated track which can be viewed in a 3D map program, such as Google Earth. The real beauty of it is, though, is that it can be viewed from virtually any angle or altitude, from directly overhead to standing beside the runway, to see your approach and landings.

SO WHAT DO YOU NEED?

I’m an Apple man and so the easiest way to record this stuff is with your smart phone (Yes, the Android can do this as well). You could, for that matter, use any device capable of downloading a suitable app and retrieving the track data - but the phone is probably the easiest. I just export the track via email to myself. All you need to do is set it up before you go to the airport. On the day just start the app, hit record, put the phone back in your pocket and forget about it until after you’ve landed.

The app I use is called ‘Speedometer’. Another for Iphone is Strava. It’s an app used mainly by cyclists to keep track of their day’s pedalling, but it does the same job. Any similar app should also do the business. You just need an app which will save and export a GPS track log file. Even better if it will export it in Google Earth format (kml or kmz files). You export the file to yourself via email if you are using your phone.

I’m not going into app reviews here, so that’s just research you’ll have to do for yourself, but I can recommend the app I use. Speedometer does exactly what’s needed and will show you a surface map and track within the app itself.

After exporting your freshly recorded GPS track to your email, copy and save the file to a convenient location on your computer, e.g. your desktop or somewhere you will be able to find it again easily.

This is where the fun starts. You will need to go to a website called GPSVisualizer.com. On the home page, after you’ve had a bit of a look around,

you’ll see a Google Earth link pretty much right in the centre of the page.

Select this to go to the Upload and Conversion page.

There is a lot on this page, but to get started you only need upload your track file (you know, the one you emailed to yourself and saved somewhere so you could find it again easily).

Scroll down to the bottom of the Upload and Conversion page, so you can see all the options available. Just right of centre you should see ‘Upload your GPS data files here’ with three file boxes under that labelled File #1, #2 and #3. Select Browse and an upload window will open. Find your saved GPS file, select it and hit Open. It should show in the File #1 box.

Next on the Convert page under Track Options (centre left of the page), set up how you want it to look. I suggest the following for a first try.

Track Opacity - 20%;Line Width – 2; Colorise by - Altitude/Elevation; Set Altitude Mode - Extruded (connected to the ground by a wall). This will give you an extra box to fill in, Extrusion Opacity: set this to 20%.

At the bottom of the page under Waypoint options, set Altitude mode to ‘Extruded (connected to the ground by a line)’ and show waypoints to 0, you can leave the rest as they are.

You can obviously redo this as many times as you like until you get the look you like.

Now select the green box ‘Create KML file’, a new window will open with your Google Earth output saying, ‘your GPS Data has been processed’. Here is your KML or KMZ file. They are both the same, except a KMZ file is compressed or zipped. The file name is a very long list of numbers which is actually the date and time.

It’s best to save this file before you do anything else. So right click on the link and select ‘Save As’. Save it to your hard drive, e.g. your desktop again for easy finding. If you leave this page without saving, the file will disappear and you will have to reprocess it again from the start. So save it.

THE LAST STEP

Download and install Google Earth. A note of caution. Once you have launched Google Earth, never save any changes you make when exiting or they become permanent fixtures each time you load the program. If you do save your changes on exiting, you will wind up with tracks loading over the top of each other each time.

You can always remove them by going to the top menu in Google Earth.

Next to the magnifier is an icon which will show the side bar. Under temporary places in the side bar, will be the file or files you have saved.

You have two options. Leave them there but untick the check box (and they won’t display any more), or right click on the file name and select ‘Delete’ from the pop-up menu to remove it permanently. You can reload it again at any time. Double clicking the file will load it into Google Earth. It will then appear, revealing the track you flew - down to the last detail. It’s endlessly fascinating. So have fun with it. Enjoy looking to see where you went today – almost exactly.

55 / SPORT PILOT

MTOW 600Kg Empty Weight 300-305Kg Cruise 90 Kts Stall 26Kts Take Off/Land 45m Photo shows some options

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56 / SPORT PILOT

New Zealand Agent Philip: 64 21 747 494

HOM E B UIL D ER

Re-inventing the wheel T H E B E S T B I T S ABOU T BU ILDIN G YOU R OWN BY DAVE EDMUND S

I

T is a fact that a disproportionate number of pilots ride motorbikes - and I am one. Perhaps it is just a petrol-head thing.

A few weeks ago, I went to a historic motorcycle event at Wakefield Park racetrack near Goulburn. The event was for pre-1962 motorbikes and anything not manufactured in England was considered a bit tasteless. There were lots of Triumphs, Nortons, AJSs, BSAs, a few Rudges and Indians. I am no expert on these bikes, but many had subtle upgrades. Apparently, the rule is that they only have to look more or less authentic.

My grey hair was not out of place, in fact any other hair colour was unusual.

In my youth, and I imagine that the motorcycle enthusiasts at Wakefield Park were the same, it was common to spend the weekend rebuilding an engine or performing some other service on a car or motorbike. These vehicles were treasured and in many ways defined our way of life.

Fast forward to my children, now in their thirties. They could not care less about any vehicle. They treat them with contempt. Service and care of the vehicle is not part of their culture. If the vehicle breaks down, they refer to me if funds are tight, otherwise the vehicle is dispatched without any regret and replaced just as dispassionately. I tried and failed to imbue them with the correct culture. I don’t think their attitude is in any way unusual.

I have commented in the past about the appearance of our flying community. We look much like the old motorcycle chaps at Wakefield Park.

RAAus has promoted scholarships for young pilots and mechanics, supported by other organisations, and most pilots I know are only too happy to take young people on joy flights. I don’t think the issue is anyone’s fault as such, just the way the world goes around. After all, what are you going to do under the bonnet of a modern car? They don’t go wrong much anyway.

The culture, which those of us of a certain age grew up with, is conducive to looking after our own planes. If we hear an odd noise there is some chance we may be able to diagnose the problem.

My children would not know a camshaft from a conrod, although I have tried and still love them dearly.

The introduction of ultralights provided a lower cost way into flying and, all things being equal, should have fostered a new generation of young pilots, but this does not seem to have happened. Perhaps it is the erosion of discretionary income or job and home pressure, or just a cultural change.

Whatever the reason, the young people who come into aviation will come with a different culture. They will not have the mechanical feel of those of us who grew up with old trashed vehicles which needed continuous maintenance. It is unlikely they will join a hangar discussion as to whether tappets should be set to a loose 10 thou or perhaps a tight 12 thou.

Perhaps it doesn’t matter. But it is a change we need to be aware of, both in the level of interest and the culture younger people might bring.

There is a tendency in this world to dismiss acquired wisdom and reinvent the wheel. Perhaps there always was. My father passed on absolutely no mechanical knowledge to me. He served his pre-war national service in the light horse, and would try and engage me about how to handle horses.

Horses have always held me transfixed with boredom.

Which brings me to electric aircraft. In the small number of aviation periodicals I read, it is rare there is not at least one article each month about the introduction of electric aircraft (Sport Pilot November 2017 is a case in point - Ed).

Boeing has now announced it is developing electric and hybrid small commuters, joining Airbus, which started on this journey some years ago.

Last month I mentioned the California project to introduce Pipistrel electric aircraft and associated infrastructure at a number of regional airports.

It may well be that a potential pilot now in primary school will never drive a car or fly an aircraft with a reciprocating engine. This child will see a knowledge of tappets as just as relevant as an understanding of girth straps and surcingles.

As it happens, the digital systems which will control and monitor an electric aircraft will be part of the culture of these young people. Perhaps they will hear a change in the hum of an electric power train and immediately identify a failing MOSFET. Steam gauges are already archaic and less reliable than good solid-state systems. Our young pilot will be amazed to learn that people used to rely on instruments which worked by sucking air out of their innards to spin little wheels.

It is entirely possible our future pilot will do all of their pre-solo training on a simulator at near-zero cost.

My children would not know a camshaft from a conrod, althoug h I still love them dearly She will then continue to do her navigational training on a simulator. I understand that quite a bit of airline training is already done like this.

Perhaps the further reduction in cost, that this approach makes possible, will encourage more young people to join us in recreational flying.

We are all nostalgic about the best bits of our past, and to a large extent our current flying environment still reflects that past. Our aircraft, with their air-cooled boxer engines, clearly show their 1930s heritage.

Technological change almost always shows a flat trajectory, while manufacturing issues are worked out and scale increased, then a very rapid transition as it is adopted. We are currently in the flat bit of that trajectory but can clearly see things are going to change very quickly, perhaps in another decade, perhaps sooner.

It is also a characteristic of technological change that we believe it will happen more slowly than it actually does.

For all that, a Manx Norton still looks and sounds great.

Editor’s note – A Manx Norton is not a horse breed but a British racing motorcycle manufactured from 1947 to 1962 by Norton Motors Ltd.

57 / SPORT PILOT

A VI A TION CLASSIFIED S

5016 SONEX 3300

New prop, instruments & paint. A/C can be registered VH if aerobatics required, and can be delivered anywhere in Australia for cost.

PRICE $55000 CONTACT PETER GILBERT 0428 719 639

5123 QUICKIE Q200 UNSTARTED COMPLETE KIT

5080 JABIRU J120 6.5 Airframe Hours, 6.5 Engine Hours, Sonex Sonex taildragger, 3300 jabiru, sensenich prop, MGL velocity avionics, engine management & radio. May be able to arrange delivery.

PRICE $38000 CONTACT TONY MESSENGER 0400 610 076

5023 HOLBROOK AIRFIELD, 22 AIRPARK ROAD

450 Airframe Hours, 114 since Zero timed Engine Hours, J120 Engine 114 since Zero Timed.Many new parts used. Crankshaft magnetic particle checkedAircraft could go back into commercial work with check. 1/2 share in Steel Hangar near Bega/ Merimbula available cheap PRICE $38000 CONTACT NEVILLE JOLLANDS (02) 6494 4125

Q200 A rare opportunity to purchase an unstarted kit of one of the prettiest light aircraft ever designed.

No engine, instruments, prop or paint. Fast, fuel-efficient and fun. Massive builder support on Quickheads dot com.

PRICE $7400 CONTACT MARTIN LANG 0409 800 369

5140 PARADISE P-1

25m wide 30m deep residential vacant Block. 22 Airpark Road Holbrook NSW 2644. $69,800 ono Don. 0417 696461 Email: donwoodward@outlook. com Web: holbrook.simdif.com PRICE $69800 CONTACT DON WOODWARD 0417 696 461

286 Airframe Hours, 286 Engine Hours, P-1 PARADISE P-1 PRICE $85000 CONTACT JOHN DARBY 0402 210 913

5032 MORGAN CHEETAH

5196 TECNAM P-92S ECHO

326.2 Airframe Hours, 55 hours Engine Hours, Cheetah Morgan Cheetah, Camit 2200 engine, 55 hours on the motor, 350 airframe, no accidents, 115 KTS cruise, PRICE $35000 CONTACT JOHN TERENCE MURPHY 0409 308 232

5039 RANS COYOTE II S6ES

270 Airframe Hours, 270 Engine Hours, S-6ES Coyote II Registered till June 2017. Rotax 582 UL engine 260hrs. New BRS recovery chute installed December 2015. Large roomy cockpit with sliding seats. Folding wings for easy storage/trailering. All VFR instruments. Search Youtube for “Tuflux RANS Coyote”.

PRICE $25000 CONTACT JAMES BAILEY 0409 348 293

MEMBERS’ MARKET ADS CAN NOW ALSO BE PLACED ONLINE. VISIT AVIATION CLASSIFIEDS.COM.AU 5086 ROTAX 912A 100HP CRANKCASES

Rotax 912A 100HP crankcases for sale. Year 2011+ improved crankcases, tt 1335, in good condition.

Ideal for replacing earlier model flawed cases.

PRICE $3850 CONTACT CHRIS 0434 141 377

5095 TOPAZ

920 Airframe Hours, 920 Engine Hours, P-92S echo Great recreational plane on property at Manilla NSW, Always hangared and in excellent condition. Many extras parts and fittings included in sale price PRICE $50,000 CONTACT B GREENSLADE 0427 010 586

5197 SKYFOX CA21

309.2 Airframe Hours, 309.2 Engine Hours, CA21 Skyfox Skyfox CA21 in excellent condition,T/Hrs 309.2 recovered using Stitts system, new upholstery. All ADs completed incl. alum. laminated aileron hinges GA dash. May be oldest flying Skyfox in existance S/N CA-21010. Easy to fly.

PRICE $21000 CONTACT PHILLIP MCGUIRE 0427 632 590

5202 FLIGHT DESIGN MC. 2010 MODEL

5057 RV-3

286 Airframe Hours, 626 Engine Hours, RV-3A RV performance with Lycoming reliability. Lycoming O-320-A2B 150HP,150-160kt TAS cruise @32lph.

300 Airframe Hours, 300 Engine Hours, Topaz 24-8438 ttis 300 hours. Rotax 912UL cruise 105 kts at lph. Ballastic parachute. Standard analogue gauges, electric flaps, trim on central joystick. Wide cockpit, centre arm rest, leather seats, 40kg luggage. $90,000 Bob Meldrum 0400 230 895 PRICE $90000 CONTACT BOB MELDRUM 0400 230 895

58 / SPORT PILOT

Garmin 430W GPS 743 Airframe Hours, 743 Engine Hours, Flight Design MC. 2010 Model 743 TT. MAF owned since new. VH-registered (option to LSA) 100 hp Rotax. All Garmin G430W GPS/NAV/COM. 2nd Com. EFIS x 2. MODE S Transponder Audio / ICOM.

A VI A TION CLASSIFIED S

ELT. FDR. Night VFR. Comfort pack. Side by side seats PRICE $92500 CONTACT DAVID O’CONNOR 0407 522 346

5261 LIGHTWING GR912

5208 ROTEC RALLY

Temora Airpark is on the market! Brand-new 15x15x 6m high hangar on a 50 x 25m freehold block, it has unrestricted views across the entire northern side of the airport. Power, water, gas & sewer avail.

PRICE $190000 CONTACT ROBIN WILLS 0401 023 271

5309 SHARE IN AEROPRAKT A32 VIXXEN

1191 Airframe Hours, nil Engine Hours, Rally Rotec Rally/Pather, slight damage to one wing strut via transport. A strong built, easy to fly aircraft, cruises at 75 kts, 50Ltr long range tank. For additional informational, please call Charles on 02 6496 7254 PRICE $2700 CONTACT CHARLES DARMANIN (02) 6496 7254

2523.9 Airframe Hours, 311.7 Engine Hours, GR912Lightwing GR912 Tailwheel - 1989 factory built and registered. Always hangared, L2 maintained. Suitable as trainer for tail wheel endorsement. Recently overhauled, Reluctant sale, PRICE $28000 CONTACT ANTHONY CATHCART 0427 200 377

5268 JABIRU J250 2004

5223 X-AIR 3194

450 Airframe Hours, 450 Engine Hours, X-Air X-Air 3194 Excellent Condition 450 Hours TT.E/AF Always Hangered Rego October 2017 Rotax 503 Engine Performs well 3 Blade Brolga Prop. Reluctant sale due to health reasons $9,000. Contact Ron 03 5382 4766 PRICE $9000 CONTACT RON (03) 5382 4766

345 Airframe Hours, 345 Engine Hours, J250 Jabiru J250 2004. Solid Lifter eng. VGs, Elect Flap, Trig Mode S Txp, Area 500 GPS, Microair VHF, Area 500 GPS, All 10 Ply Tyres, Gt Touring A/C PRICE $60000 CONTACT IAN WILLIAM BERRY 0427 997 441

5275 QUICKSILVER GT 500

5231 ACROLITE 1B 5 Airframe Hours, 5 Engine Hours, GT 500 Quicksilver GT 500 Owner meticulously Built. Fun Plane to Fly Selling to start a new project.

PRICE $20000 CONTACT STEVEN PARISH 0428 668 737 94hrs Airframe Hours, 94hrs Engine Hours, Acrolite 1B Single seater bi-plane. 2200 Jabiru solid lifter.

Disk brakes, Matco tail-wheel, new tyres & battery.

Always hangared, covers. Timber spars. 85kt cruise, 50litre alloy tank. Ailerons upper and lower.

Reluctant sale.

PRICE $21500 CONTACT DENNIS WALKER 0427 555 727

5237 SEAMAX AMPHIBIAN

150 Airframe Hours, 150 Engine Hours, A32 Vixxen A share is available in The Davewood Syndicate Vixxen based at Caboolture. Long running syndicate dedicated to providing a low hour high (currently 150) standard machine at reasonable rates of $85 per hour wet and $100 per month fixed.

PRICE $10000 CONTACT IAN MCDONELL (07) 3886 5828

5310 JABIRU J160-C

560 Airframe Hours, 290 hours (18th April 2008) Engine Hours, J160-C Jabiru J160-C - Immaculate condition. Garmin 296 GPS Transponder iPad holder Illuminated Compass Electronic T&B indicator (for Auto Pilot) Electronic Carb Heat Turbo Extractor exhaust Petroni composite prop large battery and external charger PRICE $48000 CONTACT DAVE LLOYD 0417 328 435

5318 WAIEX

5297 RV6 VH-MJH

290 Airframe Hours, 290 TIS Engine Hours, RV6 TT AF/ENG/Prop 290 Hrs LYC. 0 360 180 HP Metal FP prop. Nil accident. Best SAAA ‘All Metal Aircraft’ in 2006 CRZ 160 KTAS on 30 ltrs. CoA, Day/Night VFR with NO flight over built up area restrictions.

Email: rv6mjh@bigpond.net.au PRICE $100000 CONTACT MIKE HORNEMAN 0417 931 872

260 Airframe Hours, 5 since rebuild Engine Hours, Waiex Kit built plane Recent winner Avalon Air Show Best in show, light recreational aircraft PRICE $47500 CONTACT KEITH JEFFS 0438 508 576

5326 JABIRU J230C (24-5013)

5300 37 TIGERMOTH AVE, TEMORA AIRPARK 32 Airframe Hours, 32 Engine Hours, M22 Compare this Seamax with any other amphib LSA. 100kt IAS in cruise 18L/hour 95 octane mogas Reverse thrust and water rudder for water handling 279kg useful load Salt water friendly composite /stainless steel , no alum frame like searey.

PRICE $145000 CONTACT TERRY O’BRIEN 0400 747 401

Change in circumstances means #37 Tigermoth Ave

59 / SPORT PILOT

575.6 Airframe Hours, 575.6 Engine Hours, J230CFactory built 2007. Excellent condition. All AD’s up-to-date. Glass cockpit: Dynon D100 EFIS, AvMap EKP IV, GPS, Sentient AirNav GPS touch screen. Lots of extras. Hangered at Warwick (Qld). $75,000 or nearest offer. Phone 0438 66 3371ah PRICE $75000 CONTACT GWENITH TYBURCZY 0421 322 618

AVIATION INSURANCE EXPERIENCED AVIATION INSURANCE SPECIALISTS

Stewart Smith, Gladys Smith, and Grant Cerni would like to assist with your Fixed Wing, Helicopter, Hangarkeepers, and Public Liability needs. Grant can also quote you on all other types of business & personal insurance. Our team is friendly & helpful to deal with, and we obtain for you multiple competitive quotes from all suitable insurers.

We service clients in all parts of Australia!

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IF YOU HAVE A PRODUCT OR SERVICE AND NEED TO TELL EVERY AUSTRALIAN PILOT ABOUT IT SPORT PILOT MAGAZINE IS THE ONLY PLACE TO DO IT. For a limited time, s for l deal Sport Pilot has speciat miss out. n’ new advertisers. Do et.au editor@sportpilot.n

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Phone: 03 9816 3264 Email: aviation@insureplanes.com.au Web: www.insureplanes.com.au Stewart Smith 0433 278 700 Gladys Smith 0425 759 322 Grant Cerni 0427 779 649

AVIATION FINANCE

Australian Commercial Credit Pty Ltd in affiliation with Phillips Basile Equipment Finance Pty Ltd may be able to assist with funds from prime lenders. Good bank fixed rates, normally over 5 years with security over only the plane.

Ring Stewart Smith for an obligation free initial discussion.

WE’RE ON YOUR SIDE

60 / SPORT PILOT

A VI A TION CLASSIFIED S

5334 JABIRU J200 19-5073

624 Airframe Hours, 240 Engine Hours, J200 Build 2003, Owner purchased 2010, Airframe TTIS 644 Hrs, nil accidents, repainted at Factory 2013, GA analogue instruments, vacuum pump, A/H, D/G, Electric T&B, voltmeter, keyed ignition, Microair radio, dual headsets and 2 x GPS’s, 140 lit fuel PRICE $57500 CONTACT JEFF NOTT 0418 843 954

5335 TYRO MK 2

5355 MINICAB J14

168.5 Airframe Hours, 168.5 Engine Hours, J14 Much admired aircraft built to the highest standards

by Keith Jarvis in 2002 being his 14th aircraft constructed. Great performance and very easy to fly and maintain. 95 knot cruise @ 2400 rpm. Fuel @ 13 litres per hour. Solid lifter 2200 Jabiru Engine S/N 744. TT only 168 hours. This aircraft is meticulously built, operated and maintained ...

PRICE $32000 Contact IaN JARVIS 0419 838 925

5378 BREEZY

48 Airframe Hours, 546 Engine Hours, RLU-1 Breezy RLU-1 BREEZY. Best available. Two seater. Rolls Royce Continental O-200. TTSN airframe 48hrs. Eng 546hrs since O/H Gentle ‘open cockpit’ flyer! Built

by LAME. Current annual. Absolutely immaculate.

Helmets & Icom radio.

PRICE $37500 CONTACT JOHN HITZKE 0428 883 311

5379 RANS S6ES COYOTE

5368 ALLEGRO

60 Airframe Hours, 30 Engine Hours, Tyro MK 2 Tyro MK 2 fully refurbished 4 years ago with stits polyfibre. VW 1600 twin port aero engine (30 hours) with new Ark tech propeller. Holds 50L of fuel, with a burn of 7-10L/hour in cruise. Call Les 0438 017 256. Located in South East Tasmania.

PRICE $8500 CONTACT LES SKINNER 0438 017 256

5348 JABIRU 120C - 24-5453

1050 Airframe Hours, 180hrs Engine Hours, 120C 2200 engine, full rebuild 180 hrs ago L.2 maintained, oil and filter changes every 25hrs, A/D and service buletins , Std VFR intruments, Garman GPS wheel spats, always hangared, $34,990 (no GST) Mark Griffen 0427 887 311 PRICE $34990 CONTACT ARNOLD NIEWAND 0429 857 275

HorsHam aviation services ABN: 65 007 339 451

Now Importing the eurofox AircrAft: • • • •

610 Airframe Hours, 610 Engine Hours, Allegro 2009 Allegro, rotax 80 hp, 610 hours total time.

Usable load 250kg, Endurance 4.5 hours @ 100 knots tas.

Price $41000 Contact DAVID BUCHANAN 0427 210 083

5370 RAMPHOS AMPHIBIOUS MICROLIGHT

118 Airframe Hours, 118 Engine Hours, Trident A real fun machine landing and taking off on land or water. Low hours 912. Foldable wing for easy storage. LSA rego. Contact Ralph 0409 318 230 PRICE $30000 CONTACT PAUL MCBAIN 0439 922 323

325 Airframe Hours, 325 Engine Hours, S6-ES Rotax 912 Engin, Rego until August 2018Hydraulic brakes, large wheels Very easy to fly Folding wings Includes trailer PRICE $35000 CONTACT ROBERT WILSON 0428 667 586

SUBSCRIBE TO SPORT PILOT

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If you are not a member or would prefer a hardcopy magazine, you can subscribe by contacting RAAus headquarters at admin@raa.asn.au.

5382 SIGMA 4 AIRCRAFT

5373 SPACEWALKER SW1

Quality Factory Built Quick folding wing design Glider Tow certified to 750Kg Short take-off & landing

And Dynon Avionics Products:

• Now with Autopilot capability • Solid state sensors • Checklists • Audible alarm capability PH: 03 5381 1727 Email: info@horshamaviation.com.au

Unk Airframe Hours, nil Engine Hours, Spacewalker SWI Single seat SW1 Spacewalker. Restoration job.

All structure complete, condition 6/10. Outer wing panels OK, Centre section requires rebuild. Engine mount for A65. Located Sydney.

PRICE $5000 CONTACT NEALE DUNSTAN 0424 944 697 61 / SPORT PILOT

330 Airframe Hours, nil Engine Hours, 4 Registration 24-5095 Factory Built, 330 Air Frame Hours, 330 Engine Hours, Rotax 912s/uls Engine, Garmin Area 500 GPS, 1 X iPad Holder, iCom 200 Radio.

PRICE $58000 CONTACT BARRY HEARD 0417 473 780

62 / SPORT PILOT

A VI A TION CLASSIFIED S

5384 SAPPHIRE

5390 EUROPA CLASSIC

5398 HANGAR AVAILABLE AT QUIRINDI

Hangar available at Quirindi CONTACT CRAIG CHARTERS 0429 457 759 244.1 Airframe Hours, 244.1 Engine Hours, Europa Classic Constructed 1999 Trailer, Conventional tail wheel undercarriage 4 stage flap 120Kts @20.lph -Jabiru 3.3 engine VHF, Transponder, Lowrance GPS Contact - Doug 0408386175 Mary - 0417003281 PRICE $40000 CONTACT DOUGLAS GREGORY 0408 386 175

5400 JABIRU J200B 19-5266

5393 SKYFOX GAZELLE CA25N

170 Airframe Hours, 170 Engine Hours, J200B Jabiru J200B in excellent condition. TTIS 170hrs, Total engine time 170hrs. All Basic instruments plus AvMap EKPIV. Micro Air radio. 3300 eng. Quite a fast Aircraft.

PRICE $55000 CONTACT ROBERT MUSGRAVE 0407 502 782

5401 TECNAM P96 GOLF AIRCRAFT 24-4143

317 Airframe Hours, 99.6 Engine Hours, GT400 Quicksilver GT400, single seat, very good condition, always hangared, pleasure to fly.

PRICE $6800 CONTACT MARK BARTLEMAN 0407 344 466

2250 Airframe Hours, 2960 Engine Hours, Gazelle CA25N Skyfox Gazelle CA25N. A/F hrs - 2250. Eng hrs - 2962. Second owner, all A/Ds complied with.

Rotax 912. King KT76 mode C transponder, Icom A220 VHF, AvMap digital A/H, Garmin Aera 500 GPS. Tidy aircraft, always hangared. $32,000 neg.

PRICE $32000 CONTACT VICTOR TAYLOR 0427 113 637

5387 TECNAM RG

5395 LIGHTWING GR582

535.6 Airframe Hours, 140 Engine Hours, Sapphire Don’t be left on the ground, looking up, wishing you were flying. For a very affordable price you could be flying too! The Sapphire is a classic and well respected Australian built design. Rebuilt with new electric start Rotax 503, new Bolly 3 blade prop, new instruments and electric system.

PRICE $13000 CONTACT MUSTAFA BOZKURT 0408 516 816

5386 QUICKSILVER GT400

1302.6 Airframe Hours, nil Engine Hours, P96 Golf Tecnam P96 Golf 100 aircraft. 24 registered.

Awesome and reliable aircraft in great condition.

Dream to fly. Rotax 912 S. engine PRICE $65000 CONTACT MICHAEL VANDER HEIDEN 0412 39 3334

5404 JABIRU J160-D

1100 Airframe Hours, 700 Engine Hours, P922000RG PRICE $80000 CONTACT MICHAEL RIDDLE 0477 000 343

5389 JABIRU J170-C

300 Airframe Hours, 300 Engine Hours, GR 582 Factory-built Hughes Lightwing. Professionally recovered and painted. Rotax 582, panel-mount Icom VHF, long-range tanks. Exceptionally low hours (300 from new) and in excellent condition throughout. Forced sale due to medical condition PRICE $24500 CONTACT MARTIN HONE 0419 368 696

5397 BUCCANEER2 ULTRALIGHT

583 Airframe Hours, nil Engine Hours, J160-D Factory Built 2013 583 hours Total time Composite propeller (250 hours since new) Re-painted 2016 Dynon EFIS D10A MicroAir M760 VHF MicroAir T2000SFL Transponder Excellent condition inside and out PRICE $59000 CONTACT (07) 4092 2043

5405 J-230 D

2200 Airframe Hours, 350 Engine Hours, J170 - C J170-C-Manufactured 2010, 22B Gen3 Engine with no restrictions (350hrs). Transponder, Garmin GPS, Jabiru composite propeller. Currently cross hired to Adelaide Soaring Club with opportunity to continue arrangement (STCA) $59,000 Inc GST PRICE $59000 CONTACT GLENN SCHWARZ 0425 661 112

342 Airframe Hours, 342 Engine Hours, 1996 Updated electric actuators and Tundra wheels and tyres. Brand new icon A210. Needs some work on the tail-wheel for water landings. Condition report included. Registered until September 2018 Contact: Evan 0409 660 716 Email: bluepeace24@yahoo. com.au PRICE $29000 CONTACT IVAN LIZARRALDE 0409 660 716 63 / SPORT PILOT

660 Airframe Hours, 240 Engine Hours, J-230 D Built 2007. TT 660. Eng. 240. Prop. 120. One owner.

Nil accidents. Dynon D10. VHF. Tranponder. All SB’s up to date. Meticulously maintained.

PRICE $70000 CONTACT JOHN RUFFLE 0414 947 530

BOOK NOW Gympie Queensland 07 5483 5112 recreationalflyingco.com 64 / SPORT PILOT

A VI A TION CLASSIFIED S

5408 WANTED AERO CLUB INSTRUCTOR

Employment Griffith Aero Club Instructor required Large progressive vibrant Country Town Good facilities CONTACT PETER 0427 400 299

5409 AIRCRAFT 32-4718

approx 186 hrs TT. Fuel tankage 55ltrs (premixed) giving approx. 3hrs total endurance at a cruise speed 60-65 kts ind. Minimum field required with no obstacles 200m. Drum brakes, no flaps. Wings are removable and custom PRICE $11500 CONTACT GARRY DUKES 0400 709 801

5415 HANGAR FOR SALE - HUNTER VALLEY

196 Airframe Hours, 196 Engine Hours, Edge X T 912 2007 Airborne XT-912 with CRUZE wing all in excellent condition 196 Hrs TT Comes with all the standard equipment PLUS a “move around dolly frame” Has the NEW coil packs fitted as well Taree NSW PRICE $35000 ONO CONTACT RICHARD HARPER 0416 041 007

5410 JABIRU 430

106 Airframe Hours, 106 Engine Hours, J430 2015 registered VH can transfer to RA. Immaculate condition suit new buyer. Airframe/eng TTIS 106hrs, Cruise 120ktas @ 20l/hr. SDS fuel injected CAMit 3300, IVO IFA Prop, Glass panel, Auto Pilot. sccoombs@westnet.com.au PRICE $75000 CONTACT SIMON 0417 793 902

Near New, fully-enclosed steel hangar at Scone Airport. 12m x 12m concrete floor. Full width 3.6m high doors on rollers. Bitumen-sealed apron and taxiway to 1400m bitumen runway. Freehold (Torrens) Land Title - no annual lease payments.

CONTACT GEOFFREY PINFOLD 0429 810 008

5417 J6 KARATOO

J6 Karatoo unfinished project, 2 seater side by side, 32’6” wing span, 20’ long, wooden spruce wings, hydraulic disc brakes, fabric for covering, all plans and instructions included, many hardware parts and tools included also, all in good condition PRICE $5000 CONTACT ROBERT STUART (03) 5854 8377

5418 RANS AIRAILE S12

5412 SONEX KIT

360 Airframe Hours, 360 Engine Hours, S12 Excellent condition-nil accidents. Flown 360 hours only with Rotax 912UL and Warp Drive prop, boost pump, radio, intercom and 2 headsets. Long rego.

Always hangared. Currently located at Wedderburn.

Price $17000 Contact RODNEY HOLZWART 0438 123 767 Nil Airframe Hours, nil Engine Hours, Complete quick build airframe kit, Aerovee engine kit, prop and instruments. Partly completed (control surfaces and rear fuselage), all work of excellent standard. Very little more to spend to complete the aircraft.

PRICE $20000 CONTACT STUART TRIST 0410 561 371

5419 IBIS MAGIC GS 700 19-7591

5414 SUPAPUP MKII

202 Airframe Hours, 186 Engine Hours, SupaPup MkII Price reduced! Single seat A/C. Reliable (Two Bass Strait crossings!) Rotax 503 Dual CDI with

470 Airframe Hours, 470 Engine Hours, GS700 IBIS 19-7591 Two seater aircraft. Glass cockpit with autopilot and backup instruments. Excellent cross over of stol and cruise 24kt stall with 100kt cruise Recent annual low hours Selling due surplus to requirement PRICE $70000 CONTACT YULIO SPADINA 0439 003 633 65 / SPORT PILOT

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR ADVERTISING ONLINE AND IN THE MAGAZINE To advertise online and in Sport Pilot magazine www.aviationclassifieds.com.au (02) 6280 4700 sales@aviationclassifieds.com.au Advertising rates start at $33 (incl GST) per month for online advertising. You can include up to 5 photos and 1000 words of text online. Advertising rates include an ad in Sport Pilot Magazine, which is limited to one photo and 50 words. Advertisers are responsible for cancelling their ad. No refunds will be issued for ads where the advertiser sells a product and fails to cancel their ad. RAAus offers advertisers the opportunity to auto-renew ads, it is an advertisers responsibility to turn off this feature. The deadline for ads to appear in Sport Pilot is the 15th of the month prior to the cover date of the issue.

The Aviation Classifieds section in Sport Pilot is subsidised by RAAus and its members and is for non-commercial sales only. As such, even though your ad is guaranteed to be online, inclusion in the magazine will be at the discretion of the Editor.

Before purchasing any aircraft/engines/equipment which appears in the Aviation Classifieds, make sure the technical details and registration information is correct for that type and model of aircraft/ engine/equipment. RAAus and Stampils P/L take NO responsibility for the technical accuracy of the details and information attached to each ad online and in Sport Pilot magazine and may not be able to transfer the aircraft purchase. RAAus also reserves the right to edit or delete advertisements deemed inappropriate or misleading. RAAus and Stampils P/L reserve the right to withdraw from publication, without refund, any ad deemed unsuitable, including low quality or faulty images. Neither RAAus nor Stampils P/L accepts responsibility for advertising errors or omissions. Advertisers are also responsible for assessing both the integrity of potential buyers and the risks which attend online transactions. The long standing principle of caveat emptor (https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caveat_emptor) applies.

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HAP PY L A ND IN G S

Happy jabber

BY SUE WO OD S, JABIRU

B

RIAN Rule, owner of Jabiru 55-0722, visited us at the Jabiru factory recently while his engine had a top end overhaul. While he was here, he gave us the history of his much loved aircraft.

His Jabiru LSA is serial number 24. It was 24 years old this year. Brian purchased the aircraft in 1993 with a 1600 engine (Serial No. 5).

He flew 1,000 hours with that engine and then changed over to a solid lifter 2200 in 1998 (22A362). That engine reached its TBO of 2,000 hours, but in 2011, instead of having a full overhaul, Brian decided to upgrade to the new hydraulic lifter engine (22A3472).

22A3472 is now at the factory having a top end overhaul after 1,000 faultless hours. Over the past 24 years, 55-0722 has flown from Melbourne to Darwin and everywhere in between, clocking up 4,036 hours with approximately 14,500 landings.

We enjoyed having Brian at the factory and here’s to many more happy hours for him flying in the Jab!

SEND IN YOUR STORIES Got an aviation moment you’d love to share?

Your kids or maybe your club get together?

Send a photo as a jpeg attachment and a short explanation to editor@sportpilot.net.au

Brian Rule and his Jab

Against all the odds, the highly sought after Come And Get It Trophy remains firmly lodged in the west of the country. At the time this magazine went to the printers, John Reymond still retained possession of the trophy at Karakin (10nm east of Lancelin) in southern W.A. If you, or your crew, are contemplating a high-speed heist of recreational aviation’s most coveted prize, it’s best to keep upto-date with its latest location by checking the CAGIT hunter’s

Facebook page, administered by Dexter Burkill, Peter Zweck and David Carroll Facebook.com/cagithunters.

For a full list of rules about how you can grab CAGIT for yourself, check out the RAAus website.

WHERE IS

CAGIT?

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MKY Tours Oshkosh

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Foxbat Australia

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PSB

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Australian Aircraft Kits

64

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64

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Bert Flood Imports

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Bill Owen

60 2

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Horsham Aviation

60,61

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Bolly Props

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Insure Planes

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66 / SPORT PILOT

AVIATION INSURANCE

EXPERIENCED AVIATION INSURANCE SPECIALISTS Stewart & Gladys Smith would like to assist with your Fixed Wing, Helicopter, Hangarkeepers and Public Liability needs.

We have recently been joined by Grant Gerni who not only knows aviation but also excellently handles all other types of business and personal insurances. Our team is friendly & helpful to deal with and we normally obtain for you multiple competitive quotes from all suitable insurers.

We service clients in all parts of Australia!

WE’RE ON YOUR SIDE

Cerni Kalser Insurance Pty Ltd t/a Insure Planes

Phone: 03 9816 3264 Email: aviation@insureplanes.com.au Web: www.insureplanes.com.au Stewart Smith 0433 278 700 Gladys Smith 0425 759 322 Grant Cerni 0427 779 649

AVIATION FINANCE

Australian Commercial Credit Pty Ltd in affiliation with Phillips Basile Equipment Finance Pty Ltd may be able to assist with funds from prime lenders. Good bank fixed rates, normally over 5 years with security over only the plane.

Ring Stewart Smith for an obligation free initial discussion.

WE’RE ON YOUR SIDE

The Great Eastern Fly-In

6 - 7 January 2018

Fly-in for a unique Australian aviation get together.

Camping, fun activities, air displays, drones, joy flights, aviation history, classic cars, markets, great food and much more.

Fun for y il all the fam

find us on Facebook Gai 0427825202 www.greateasternflyin.com

Where the sky meets the sea

Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome - YVED

68 / SPORT PILOT